Saudi SC upholds 20-year jail term for Kozhikode native Abdul Rahim

Kozhikode: The Saudi Supreme Court on Sunday upheld the appellate court verdict sentencing Abdul Rahim, an auto driver from Feroke, to 20 years in jail. He will be released in March 2026 after completing his term, said K K Alikutty, Convenor of the Rahim Legal Aid Committee.

Rahim had gone to Saudi Arabia in 2006 and was working as a driver in Riyadh. A differently-abled boy from the employer’s family, whom Rahim had been taking care of, fell unconscious and died during a car ride after his breathing aid got accidentally dislodged. 

Although the incident was considered an accident, Rahim was initially charged with murder and sentenced to death under the Saudi law. The punishment was later reduced after the boy’s family agreed to accept blood money, eventually leading to the 20-year sentence.