'She has never seen me in a prison uniform...' Kerala native Abdul Rahim refuses to meet mother in Saudi jail
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Nov 8, 2024, 2:10 PM ISTAbdul Rahim, a native of Kodampuzha in Feroke, who has been in prison in Saudi Arabia for 18 years, chose not to meet his mother, Fathima, in person when she visited him in Riyadh. Instead, they communicated through a video call.
Riyadh: Abdul Rahim, a resident of Kodampuzha in Feroke, who is awaiting release from a Saudi Arabian prison, chose not to meet his mother, Fathima, who had traveled to Riyadh to visit him. Instead, they spoke through a video call. Fathima, along with Rahim's brother MP Naseer and uncle Abbas, arrived at Al Iskan prison on Al Kharj Road in Riyadh. While the prison authorities permitted Fathima to enter, Rahim declined to meet her in person.
Kerala man escapes noose in Riyadh after paying blood money
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Rahim currently imprisoned in Riyadh, revealed that he could not bring himself to meet his mother in jail. Speaking to friends in Riyadh over the phone, Rahim shared that his mother, brother, and uncle visited the prison on Thursday to see him. Although the jail authorities arranged a meeting, he declined, saying his heart wasn’t ready for it.
“When I heard my mother was here, I felt the symptoms of high blood pressure immediately and had to take medication,” he explained.
"I’ve been in jail for 18 years, but my mother has never seen me in prison uniform. We speak on the phone, but she has never seen my current appearance. In her mind, I am still the son who left for Saudi Arabia 18 years ago, and I wish it stays that way," said Rahim.
He added that meeting his mother in prison would cause unbearable pain for both of them. He expressed concern that his aging mother, who suffers from high blood pressure, and his own health issues would make such a meeting difficult and distressing.
"I made the decision that it wasn’t necessary," Rahim said, referring to his reluctance to meet his mother. "In the end, it was my mother's insistence that led me to agree to a video call. Even that caused me mental stress and led to an increase in my blood pressure and other health issues." Rahim added, "No one is to blame for the lack of an in-person meeting with my mother."
Previously, a 'Blood Money' payment of Rs 34 crores was made to the family of the boy who died after allegedly being killed by Rahim. Upon receiving the payment, the deceased's family informed the court of their willingness to forgive Rahim, leading to the court's decision to scrap the death penalty.
Abdul Rahim traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2006 to work as a driver. However, his duties soon changed when he was assigned to care for a 16-year-old Saudi boy with physical disabilities who depended on life support. After just 26 days in the role, while driving with the boy, they stopped at a red light. The boy allegedly urged Abdul to run the red light, but Abdul refused. A disagreement followed, and in the ensuing chaos, Abdul accidentally disconnected the boy's life support, causing him to lose consciousness. In his panic, Abdul failed to seek medical help for the boy, who subsequently passed away.
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