Indian driver released after Saudi King pays blood money

An Indian driver involved in a car accident nearly two years ago has been freed after Saudi King Abdullah paid SR 185,701 as blood money to the members of a Saudi family to secure his release.

An Indian driver involved in a car accident nearly two years ago has been freed after Saudi King Abdullah paid

SR 185,701 (Rs 2,287,839.80) as blood money to the members of a Saudi family to secure his release.

Shaukat Abdul Samad of Quilon, Kerala, was released from the Al-Uyoon prison in Hofuf on Friday night. He was one of the beneficiaries of the amnesty declared recently by King Abdullah.

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After his release, Samad said the accident occurred in October 2004 when the car he was driving was rammed by a Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company bus as he was making a U-turn. Three people — a man, his wife and daughter — died while Samad survived.

The police arrested Samad and imprisoned him for causing the accident. He was also held liable for the payment of blood money to the next of kin. His employer tried to help him by negotiating with the victims’ family to reach an out-of-court settlement. ‘‘At that time, my sponsor was told that the family would not insist on full payment of the blood money and would try to be reasonable, considering my circumstances as an Indian

driver,’’ he told Arab News.

The turning point came when his family submitted a petition for mercy to King Abdullah, who visited New Delhi on January 26, through India’s Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed. The King then promised to secure his release. He paid the blood money to the relatives of the deceased and ordered Samad’s release.