In a remarkable show of solidarity, residents of Kerala have raised INR35.45 crore through a crowd-funding campaign to aid Abdul Rahim, a Kozhikode native sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for the accidental death of a 15-year-old disabled boy.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan commended the community-driven initiative and voiced his support for Rahim’s cause.

Taking to social media, the Chief Minister remarked, “In the face of falsehoods propagated against our state, Malayalees are responding with compassion and generosity. To secure Abdul Rahim’s release, who hails from Kozhikode and faces a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, Malayalees globally have raised 34 crore rupees.”

According to ANI reports, Rahim was employed as a house driver for a Saudi national and also cared for a 15-year-old disabled boy. Rahim recounted an incident where, while driving with the boy, he stopped at a red light.

When the boy urged him to ignore the signal, an accident ensued, resulting in the dislodging of the tube connected to the boy’s life-support device. The boy tragically lost consciousness and passed away.

In 2018, Rahim was handed a death sentence in Saudi Arabia under murder charges. While initially seeking the death penalty, the victim’s family later agreed to pardon Rahim upon receiving “blood money” of 15 million Saudi riyals.

To rally support and raise the necessary funds for Rahim’s release, a legal committee launched the ‘SAVEABDULRAHIM’ app for donations. The app garnered over ₹30 crore, with the remaining funds collected through offline contributions. A social media campaign further amplified Rahim’s cause.

The committee plans to engage with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to seek its intervention before the looming deadline of April 15 for Rahim’s release.