Indian national in UAE saved from death row after NRI tycoon Yusuffali pays Rs 1 cr blood money
Abu Dhabi, Jun 3: A 45-year-old Indian, who was on death row in the United Arab Emirates for killing a young Sudanese boy in a road accident in 2012, can't believe that he will be a free man and can return to the country to be with his family.
Becks Krishnan was saved by prominent NRI businessman and philanthropist M A Yusuffali who helped to pay his "blood money" amounting nearly Rs one crore, PTI reported.
Krishnan, who hails from Kerala, was sentenced to death by UAE Supreme Court after he was found guilty of killing a young Sudanese boy when he recklessly drove and rammed his car into a group of children in September 2012.
Ever since, his family and friends have been trying hard for Krishnan's release without any success, especially as the victim's family had already gone back and settled in Sudan, putting an end to any discussion or pardon.
The Krishnan family then approached Yusuffali, Chairman of Lulu Group, who went about getting the details of the case and got in touch with all stakeholders.
Ultimately in January 2021, the victim's family in Sudan agreed to pardon Krishnan. Subsequently, Yusuffali 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.
Talking to the Indian embassy officials yesterday in Al Watba Jail in Abu Dhabi, a highly emotional Krishnan could not believe the turn of events.
It's a re-birth for me, as I had lost all hope of seeing the outside world, let alone a free life. My only wish now is to see Yusuffali once before flying to my family," Krishnan was quoted as saying in the statement.
When asked for his comments Yusuffali 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 phone.
Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group that owns Lulu Hypermarkets and shopping malls, is one of the top retailers in the Middle East and North African region (MENA).
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Surat LS candidate Nilesh Kumbhani whose nomination form was rejected suspended from Congress
Ahmedabad, Apr 25: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suspended from the party for six years its Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected over discrepancies leading to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal getting elected unopposed.
A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part or "in connivance with the BJP".
"To be fair to you we have given time to you to explain your case but instead of coming before the party disciplinary committee you have gone incommunicado. After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn. This has deprived people of Surat their voting rights," the Congress disciplinary committee headed by Balu Patel said.
"People of Surat and party workers have become very angry due to your action and are expressing their anger in different ways. The Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years from the party," the press note said.
Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected on April 21 after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming the signatures on the document was not theirs.
The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated on the same grounds.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi said the three nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after prima facie discrepancy was found in the signatures of the proposers and they did not appear to be genuine.
Kumbhani, a former corporator from Surat, had unsuccessfully fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency on April 22 after all other nominees, including one from BSP, withdrew from the fray one by one on the last day of withdrawing papers.
