Crowd Funding Crosses Rs 30 Crore, Collection Through “Save Abul Rahim App” Stopped For Now

As crowd funding for the release of Abdul Rahim has crossed Rs 30 crore, as per the latest reports, collection via “Save Abul Rahim App” has stopped for now.

The functioning of the app has been put on hold temporarily for the purpose of auditing, so as to ensure transparency in the collection of funds. It will resume working at 4.30 PM, the Abdul Rahim Legal Assistance Committee informed.

Abdul Rahim Machilakath Peediyekkal,  a native of Farook, Kozhikode, has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for the past 18 years. The Saudi court has sentenced Abdul Rahim to death in the case related to the murder of a 15-year-old Saudi citizen. His execution, reportedly, set for April 16.

The only hope for Abdul Rahim’s release is if a blood money of 15 million Saudi Riyals, equivalent to Rs 33.24 crore, is being paid. The deadline to submit this amount also ends on April 16, Tuesday. Family, friends, and well-wishers, have all joined together in the attempt to raise blood money.  Besides,  various organisations and the expatriate community have also joined their hands for the release of Abdul Rahim.

As part of the crowdfunding initiative, a dedicated mobile application called ‘SAVE ABDUL RAHIM,’ have also formulated. The app now plays a major role in mobilising financial support.

Abdul Rahim was earlier working as an auto driver in Feroke. In 2006, he went to Saudi Arabia in search of better job opportunities and joined as a driver in Riyadh. His main duty was to take care of a 15-year-old differently-abled boy in the family. As per the Onmanorama report, one day when Abdul Rahim was driving the car with the boy, a device that supported the boy’s breathing accidentally fell inside the car. The boy went unconscious due to this and later died. The situation emerged as, at a traffic signal, the boy reportedly urged Abdul Rahim to move the car forward, ignoring the red light. When he refused to do this, the boy began beating him, and amid the altercation, Abdul Rahim unintentionally touched the medical device, causing it to fall down.

Later, the Saudi court sentenced Abdul Rahim for murder. In 2022, the appeal court upheld the verdict, and the country’s Supreme Court later confirmed the decision. Later, after long negotiations, the victim’s family agreed to accept the blood money.