Riyadh: A court in Riyadh has sentenced Kozhikode native Abdul Rahim to an additional one year in prison in connection with a case related to the death of a boy.

Rahim, who has already served 18.5 years, was expected to be released in six months. However, with the latest verdict, he will now have to complete the full 20-year prison term.

The court announced its verdict after postponing the case multiple times in the last few months. 

Abdul Rahim, an auto driver from Feroke, Kozhikode, went to Saudi Arabia in 2006 seeking better job opportunities. He worked as a driver in Riyadh and also cared for a differently-abled boy in his employer’s family. During a car ride, a breathing aid used by the boy accidentally dislodged, leading to his loss of consciousness and subsequent death.

Although the incident was deemed accidental, Rahim was charged with murder under Saudi law and sentenced to death. The court later revised the verdict after the boy’s family agreed to accept blood money.