Indian businessman rescues driver by paying blood money

An Indian driver, who was imprisoned and ordered to pay SR 225,000 in diyah (blood money) for an accidental death case, was released following payment of the amount by a Jeddah-based Indian businessman Mohammed Alungal to the family of the dead Saudi national in the Southern Province.
After his release from the prison in Khamis Mushayt yesterday, domestic driver Vinish Pappachan, a native of Kollamur town in the Idki district of the southern Indian state of Kerala, said: “I just want to fly back home as early as possible. Every single hour seems to be a year or more for me now. I have a fresh lease of life thanks to Mohammed Alungal (chairman of Abeer Polyclinic Group), Chief Minister Ommen Chandy and NORKA general consultant Shihab Kottukad. I feel like a free bird now.”
Pappachan said, “I am waiting to receive the salary of SR 3,000 from prison authorities in Khamis Mushayt, as I worked as cleaner and gardener in the prison. I will buy some gifts for my parents with that money.”
On Thursday, which was the first working day for government offices in the Kingdom after the change of the weekend, the court, presided by Judge Nasr bin Mohammed Al-Amri in Abha, ordered the release of Pappachan following receipt of a check for SR 225,000.
Pappachan was employed as driver by a Saudi family in Khamis Mushayt and after working for some time as house driver, his employer assigned him the job of operating an earth-moving tractor. While returning on the vehicle after working at a construction site in February 2012, his vehicle collided with a car driven by a Saudi that resulted in latter's death on the spot.
A court in Abha held Pappachan guilty and ordered him to pay diyah. His family had sought the help of the Kerala chief minister.
Numerous villages in Idki district had sought help of the Kerala state government in this regard. In turn the Kerala chief minister contacted social workers in Saudi Arabia to speak with the dead Saudi’s family.
The Saudi family agreed to reduce the amount of compensation by SR 75,000 but the court rejected the settlement by ruling that the wife of the deceased had no right to pardon or reach any settlement on behalf of her dead husband. It said only children have legitimate right to pardon or punish or reach any settlement with the party that caused death. It also ruled that if children are minor then the killer has to wait until children attain maturity. After the court’s rejection of settlement deal, the Indian family had sought help from Alungal again through the Kerala chief minister’s office, and on request from the latter, Alungal came forward to pay the full amount as per court order to the family of the Saudi to secure the release of the Indian driver.