Family raising blood money for youth in Kuwait jail

This is the story of a love affair across borders, a suicide, murder allegation, conviction, imprisonment and blood money. In 2005...

This is the story of a love affair across borders, a suicide, murder allegation, conviction, imprisonment and blood money. In 2005, Shoukath Thikaseri, a 20-year-old from Kozhikode, went to Kuwait in search of a better life. There, he fell in love with Jamuna Thapa, a Nepali migrant working as a domestic help.

Their affair continued for some months, and the couple decided to elope and get married in India. But Shoukath’s parents reportedly opposed the match. So, by the end of the year, the couple decided to commit suicide. While Jamuna died, Shoukath survived. He was then arrested by the Kuwaiti police on charges of murder. The Shariat court there sentenced him to death, and he was to be hanged by the end of February 2008.

However, Shoukath’s punishment was reduced to life imprisonment following a general amnesty declared by the government on the eve of Eid. Meanwhile, Shoukath’s father, a fisherman, sought the help of the Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs.

The ministry got in touch with Jamuna’s family in Nepal, and requested them to sign a Maafi Naama which would secure Shoukath’s release. As per the Shariah law existing in Muslim countries, if the immediate relatives of a victim agree to pardon the culprit, he can be freed.

But Jamuna’s family refused to respond to the plea put forwarded by the Indian Embassy, according to ministry officials. Later, they reportedly agreed to sign the Maafi Naama if they were paid Rs 50 lakh.

However, Shoukath’s family in Kerala could not afford to pay that amount. The ministry then started mediating through the Nepali Government, and got Jamuna’s family to bring down their demand to Rs 20 lakh. But Shoukath’s family was unable to raise this amount too.

“We have written letters to the Kerala Government and others concerned to help Shoukath’s family in this issue. Efforts are still on and we hope that things are moving in the right direction,” said Minister for Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi.

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Following the ministry’s call to NRI organisations in the Gulf, the Indian community in Kuwait has stepped up efforts to raise the funds. A report in the Arab Times quoted a member of the Kuwait Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre as saying that they would “leave no stone unturned to save the convict.”

The Indian Express earlier reported a similar case of another Indian who was sentenced to death for killing his compatriot. He was pardoned last month after the victim’s wife signed a Maafi Naama, following the efforts of the government and the NRI community who raised the blood money.