Nirappat Vineesh Pappachan is being received by Dr. Jemshith Ahmed, Executive Director of Al-Abeer Group, at Al-Abeer Hospital Kizhisheri, Kerala Tuesday. Abdul Rasheed Alungal, Director of Al-Abeer Hospital Kizhisheri, and Hameed K.K, Administrator of Al-Abeer EduCity (second from left), are also seen in the picture. (Inset) Mohammed Alungal

 

Hassan Cheruppa

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — Nirappat Vineesh Pappachan, a domestic driver of Indian origin, was released from Khamees Mushayt jail and sent home on August 5.



He has no words to express his profound gratitude to prominent Indian businessman and philanthropist Mohammed Alungal, Chairman and Managing Director of Al-Abeer Medical Group, for helping him to get out of prison after paying a whopping blood money of SR 225,000 to the relatives of a Saudi citizen who was killed in an accident involving Pappachan.



The young man traveled 400 km on Tuesday to Al-Abeer Hospital Kizhisheri in the northern Kerala district of Malappuram in order to convey his gratitude to the man who was instrumental in giving him a new life.



Pappachan was received at the hospital by Dr. Jemshith Ahmed, Executive Director of Al-Abeer Group; Abdul Rasheed Alungal, Director of Al-Abeer Hospital Kizhisheri; and Hameed K.K, Administrator of Al-Abeer EduCity.

Overseas Indian Cultural Congress (OICC) Jeddah President Abdul Majeed Naha, Dr. Kavungal Mohammed, Assistant Vice President of Marsh Saudi Arabia, and OICC Global Committee member Abdul Rahman Kavungal were among those who present on the occasion.



Speaking with Saudi Gazette, Pappachan said: "God answered the prayers of my family, people of native place, and a large number of expatriates, by showering on me mercy and sending me help through Alungal.



"I am thanking all those who stood by me to end my ordeal after being remained behind bars for nearly one and a half years," he said.



Pappachan, a native of Kulamav town in the Idukki district of Kerala, said that he has reunited with his sick mother Alice and other family members who had to undergo harrowing experience after the accident took place in February 2012.



"All my dreams and hopes to support my destitute family were shattered when the car of the Saudi citizen hit at the rear side of the tractor that I was driving."



Pappachan, who was released from jail on July 6, had to return home with only SR 3,000 that he had received as his wage for the cleaning and gardening job that he did whilst in prison.



"I used a part of this money to buy some gifts and essential goods for my poor mother and brothers," Pappachan, who is a bachelor, said.

Al-Abeer Group met the travel expense of Pappachan.



The Riyadh-based social worker Shihab Kottukad, who coordinated the efforts to get the release of Pappachan, told Saudi Gazette that the young man was imprisoned four months after his arrival in the Kingdom and at that time he was in a debt trap due to financial liabilities for visa and travel expenses.



His relatives and native villagers formed an action committee to save him from prison.



"It was their untiring efforts that resulted in the intervention of Kerala’s Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who followed up each and every phase of the initiatives that led to his release and homecoming.



Chandy even sent P. Siva Das, special emissary of Chief Minister for Non-Resident Indians, to meet Indian businessmen based in the Kingdom in pursuit of finding out about blood money," he said while lauding Alungal for readily accepting to pay the exorbitant amount single handedly.



"In the beginning, the Saudi’s family agreed to receive a reduced compensation of SR150,000 in blood money as part of a settlement deal.



"But the check for the amount was rejected by the Abha court, stating that only the deceased man’s minor children have the right to reduce the compensation and that the convict has to wait until they have grown up. As a result, Alungal agreed to pay the full amount and that resulted in ending Pappachan’s ordeal," he said.



Pappachan was accorded a warm reception by members of his family and people from the native village when he landed at Trivandrum International Airport on August 5.



Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and K.C. Joseph, Minister for Overseas Affairs, and P. Siva Das received him at their offices on the same day.



Pappachan’s mother Alice said that she thanked God for giving back her son when she thought that she could never meet him in her lifetime.



"I believe that it is God who saved my son through Alungal," an emotionally charged Alice said.



Pappachan said that though he wanted to meet Alungal back at home, he said: "Please include me in your prayers. That is enough for me."



"I could not sit home without expressing my gratitude to the man who saved me. So I traveled to Al-Abeer Group hospital as a token of gratitude.



"I am also thanking all expatriates, especially Shihab Kottukad, Basheer Muneer of Kerala Muslim Cultural Center, Khamees Mushayt and Abdul Ghafour Payyanakkal of Khamees Mushayt OICC, for their support to get me out of jail," Pappachan said, adding that he has no plan to return to the Kingdom but instead is making preparations to make a living as a JCB driver.