An Indian worker who was jailed and ordered to pay SR300,000 as blood money for causing the death of a co-worker four years ago was released by Asir Gov. Prince Faisal bin Khaled on humanitarian ground after he took into consideration other aspects of the case.

Mohammed Zaheer, an expatriate from the Indian state of Bihar state, was working as a road-roller operator in Beni Hamr near the Yemeni border in Asir province. A Bangladeshi co-worker was crushed to death when he came under the road-roller driven by Zaheer about four years ago.

Zaheer argued in court that he did not see anyone coming in front of the road-roller while he was operating the vehicle, but he was found guilty since the worker was found dead under the road-roller. A local court ordered him to pay SR300,000 as blood money to the deceased family and he has been in prison in Beni Hamr since then, sources said.

Several Saudis living in the area were moved by Zaheer’s ordeal, and they came forward to help him out with the blood money. Saudi citizens in surrounding villages collected SR150,000 to pay the blood money but the legal representative of the deceased Bangladeshi worker refused to accept any amount other than the SR300,000 awarded by the court, sources said.

However, the forensic report received later indicated the presence of poisonous substance in the body of the deceased Bangladeshi worker. Based on the forensic report, it was concluded that the substance could have led to the Bangladeshi’s death or made him fall unconscious on the path of the road-roller.

Ashraf Kutichal, Indian social worker in Abha, told Arab News that based on the forensic report, jail official Mohammed Hasan Amri drew the attention of Gov. Prince Faisal bin Khalid and requested him to consider the case.

After considering the case, Prince Faisal ordered Zaheer’s release from the prison. Zaheer walked free and went to Makkah to perform Umrah.

Zaheer told Arab News: “I want to return home at the earliest.” He refused to reveal any further details about his case and his relatives in Jeddah are equally unwilling to talk about it.