Abdul Raheem from Kozhikode, Kerala, returned to India after spending nearly 20 years in a Saudi prison in a case linked to the alleged murder of a Saudi minor in 2006. The official X account of India in Saudi Arabia confirmed that his flight departed on May 28 after Saudi authorities granted him a pardon and released him. Raheem had earlier been on death row, but his execution was halted in 2024 after the victim’s family accepted 1.5 million Saudi riyals, around Rs 34 crore, as Diyah or blood money under Islamic law. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia had consistently pursued his case with local authorities and monitored his well-being. Members of the Indian community also supported his legal battle through a major crowdfunding campaign.