The release order of Abdul Rahim, a native of Kodampuzha near Feroke in Kozhikode who is lodged in a prison in Saudi Arabia, has been signed by the authorities.

This was informed by the functionaries of Abdul Rahim Legal Assistance Committee on Tuesday (May 26). They said the exit visa process had also been completed, and that the immigration procedures needed to be cleared now. He would be able to go home any time once these procedures are completed, they added.

Mr. Rahim’s 20-year jail term had ended on the midnight of May 19. He was imprisoned and sentenced to death in 2006 for the murder of the 14-year-old differently abled son of his employer. Though Mr. Rahim claimed it was an accident, his employer’s arguments carried more legal weight.

A turning point in the case happened when the Malayali diaspora managed to raise ₹35 crore, the blood money the victim’s family had demanded, in May 2024. The victim’s family later agreed to cancel the death sentence after receiving the money. The Saudi court in July 2024 revoked the death sentence. However, the Riyadh Criminal Court in May 2025 sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment under the Public Rights Act.