Kerala Man On Death Row In UAE Saved By NRI Businessman Yusuf Ali Who Paid Rs 1 Cr Blood Money
For Becks Krishnan, a native of Kerala's Thrissur, who has been a jail in the UAE for nearly a decade now, it is nothing short of new life as he is set to be freed.
Krishnan was jailed in September 2012 after his car rammed into a Sudanese boy and was sentenced to death by UAE Supreme Court after he was found guilty of reckless driving.?
But the 45-year-old is now a free man and can return to India to be with his family, thanks to NRI businessman MA Yousuf Ali.
Ali, the Chairman of Lulu Group, paid nearly Rs 1 crore as 'blood money to the victim's family to get his release.
After he was sentenced to death, Krishnan's family had been trying unsuccessfully to get him released.?
Things took a positive turn after the kin of Krishnan approached Ali, who is an influential businessman in the Middle East and one of the richest NRIs.
With his connections, Ali was able to locate the family of the boy who had gone back to Sudan and they agreed to pardon Krishan if he paid blood money.
Subsequently, Ali paid 500,000 Dirhams (Rs one crore approximately) as compensation in the court to secure the man's release, the Lulu group said here in a statement.
When asked for his comments Ali simply thanked almighty for the release of Krishnan and the benevolence of visionary rulers of UAE for the release of Krishnan, and wished him a happy and peaceful life ahead.
All legal procedures related to Krishnan's release have been completed on Thursday and he is expected to travel back to his hometown in Kerala soon, putting an end to nine years of agony for him and his family, a senior official of the Lulu Group told PTI over the phone.
Who is?Yusuf Ali?
65-year-old Ail, who was born in Thrissur, built his business empire in the middle east and the Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group that owns Lulu Hypermarkets and shopping malls, is one of the top retailers in the region.
According to Forbes magazine, he is the richest expat in UAE.?
In 2019, Ali had become the first recipient of the?gold card permanent residency in the United Arab Emirates?(UAE) an initiative that was launched to woo wealthy individuals and exceptional talents.
