Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], April 13 (HBTV): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has lauded the efforts of Malayalis from across the globe who rallied together to raise INR 35.45 crore through a crowd-funding campaign to secure the release of Kohzikode native Abdul Rahim, who has been in jail for more than 18 years in Saudi Arabia and facing a death penalty.  

Vijayan took to social media to say, "When the propagandists of hatred spread lies against the state, the Malayalees are raising their defense through stories of humanity and philanthropy. For the release of Abdul Rahim, a native of Kozhikode who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, Malayalees all over the world have joined hands and collected 34 crore rupees." 

Abdul Rahim was employed as a house driver of a Saudi citizen and the caretaker of a 15- year-old disabled boy. In Rahim's version of the fatal incident, while travelling with the boy one day, Rahim stopped the vehicle at a red light. When the boy demanded Rahim violate the red signal, he accidentally hit and dislodged the tube of a life-support device attached to the boy's body after which the boy fell unconscious and died.     

Rahim was sentenced to death in 2018 under Saudi law for murder and although the victim's family was adamant about the death penalty until the last moment, they eventually agreed to pardoning him if he paid 'blood money' of 15 million Saudi riyals.    

The legal action committee that organised the crowd funding to save Abdur Rahim, thanked the people of the state and said that the collection of funds has stopped and no one should send any more money.   

(AN) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.