Sulieman Abubakr, a 55-year-old from Karnataka state, was driving his truck on the highway to Riyadh at about 3 a.m. when the accident occurred. He collided with a vehicle, killing six members of a Saudi family.

The accident occurred about 200 km from Taif in April 2008, after which Abubakr was arrested. On Monday, Abubakr walked out of Taif Central Jail a free man after his company's insurer paid the blood money.

“After a hearing in the case, a Taif court ruled that SR675,000 be paid in blood money to the family members of the accident victims,” said E.M. Abdulla, general coordinator of the India Fraternity Forum. “The family members of the accident victims never asked for execution. They had asked for the blood money, but the insurance company was reluctant at first.”

The case had “a huge impact” in India and on the Indian community in Saudi Arabia, according to Abdulla, and members of the community rallied to help Abubakr, who had only been on the job for three months when the accident occurred.

Members of the India Fraternity Forum from Taif, Riyadh and Jeddah negotiated with the family of the dead, the insurance company and the authorities to reach a settlement.

“Abubakr’s family in India is very poor and needed financial and moral support, which forum members provided,” said Abdulla.

India Fraternity Forum members Rafeeque Kulayi, Noushad Kattippala, Hussain Jokkattai, Althaf and Sulaiman Mancheswaram, as well as the welfare section of the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, were instrumental in negotiating a settlement in the tragic case.