"My second life," says Indian man freed from death row in UAE
Becks Krishnan, pardoned from death row in Abu Dhabi flies back home
Kochi, June 9: The 45-year-old Indian recently freed from death row in the UAE after an NRI businessman paid "blood money" arrived here on Wednesday and said his release was a "second life" for him.
Becks Krishnan,who was on death row in the United Arab Emirates for killing a young Sudanese boy in a road accident in 2012, was freed after prominent NRI businessman and philanthropist M A Yusuff Ali helped pay his "blood money" amounting to nearly Rs one crore.
The Thrissur resident arrived at the international airport here early on Wednesday morning from Abu Dhabi.
His wife Veena and son Advaith, along with other relatives and friends, received him at the airport.
"I was relieved when I heard that Yusuff Ali had intervened...This is my second life.
I am thankful to Yusuff Ali. He was holding discussions with the victim's family for many months," Krishnan told the media.
Meanwhile, Ali in a statement, said he had deposited 500,000 Dirhams in January at the Abu Dhabi court after convincing the Sudani boy's family to pardon Krishnan.
"We had to convince both the parents and the negotiations went on for several months.
It was difficult initially because the boy's mother wanted the law to take its own course.
Convincing them to pardon Krishnan was the difficult part," Ali said in a statement.
Krishnan was sentenced to death by the 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 had 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 the 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.
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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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
