Kodampuzha: Abdul Rahim finally returned to the loving embrace of his mother after 20 years. As he stepped into his home courtyard in Kodampuzha after 20 years, Rahim could not hold back his tears. Relatives, locals and friends welcomed him with loud cheers. Pathumma received her son with a kiss on the cheek as Rahim broke down in tears hugging his mother tightly.

Rahim arrived in Kozhikode from Riyadh on an Air India Express flight that departed at 11:55 pm Saudi time on Wednesday. Prison officials escorted him to the airport and completed immigration and other formalities. He landed at Karipur airport around 7:35 am on Thursday.

By around 8 am, Rahim came out of the airport to a huge crowd of friends, relatives, and media persons waiting outside. Fighting back tears, he thanked everyone before heading home. A large crowd had also gathered at his house to welcome him. Waving and expressing gratitude to all, Rahim finally entered the small house that had long awaited his return.

He hugged relatives and children tightly before finally reaching his mother. Just a day earlier, Rahim’s mother had told visitors who came to inform her about his return: “I will believe it only when my son reaches this house and calls me ‘Umma’.” Despite repeated assurances that all legal hurdles had been cleared and Saudi authorities had signed the release order, she found it difficult to believe.

At last, standing close to her son, the emotional mother thanked everyone. Addressing the media from a small pandal set up in front of the house, Abdul Rahim said: “There are too many people to mention by name, so I won’t attempt it. My heartfelt thanks to the Malayalis at the Riyadh embassy, my local people, friends and Malayalis across the world.”

Rahim had gone to Saudi Arabia in 2006 for a driver’s job. He was jailed following an incident on December 26 in which the differently-abled son of his sponsor died. Although Rahim maintained that it was an unintentional mistake, the court sentenced him to death. Prosecutors argued that it was a brutal murder and that evidence had been destroyed.

Rahim repeatedly told the court that he had no personal enmity or issues with the family and that the death was accidental, but the court did not accept his plea. After the trial, a Riyadh court sentenced the then 26-year-old Rahim to death and imprisoned him.

On July 2, 2024, Rahim was spared execution after Malayalis around the world came together to raise ₹34 crore as blood money (diyah). However, the Riyadh Criminal Court ruled that he must complete a prison sentence under Saudi public law. His release became possible only after serving that term.

A total of ₹47,87,65,347 was collected, of which ₹36,27,34,927 has been spent so far. The Rahim Help Committee handled the case. Osama Al Ambar was Rahim’s lawyer, while Siddique Thuvvoor served as his power of attorney holder.