By IANS
New Delhi : The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has urged non-resident Indians in the Gulf region to make monetary contributions to pay Rs.2 million as ‘blood money’ to save the life of an Indian on the death row in Kuwait.
“I am appealing to all generous NRIs to contribute to save the life of Shoukat Thikaseri, whose life could be saved from the death sentence if he pays a blood money to the family of the deceased,” Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi told IANS here Wednesday.
Thikaseri, a native of Kerala’s Kozhikode district, has been sentenced to death for the death of Nepalese girl Jamuna Thapa.
Thikaseri, who was working as a cleaner in a hotel at Jehra Al Khasar in Kuwait, had reportedly fallen in love with Thapa, who was working as a housemaid. They both tried to commit suicide as the girl’s family opposed their marriage. While Thikaseri was saved, Thapa died in the incident.
He, however, was sentenced to death by the sharia court in Kuwait for the girl’s death.
Taking initiative to save the Indian’s life, Ravi met Nepalese authorities in Abu Dhabi when he was there to attend the fourth ministerial consultation on overseas employment and contractual labour for countries of origin and destination in Asia.
The Nepalese authorities helped the minister to trace Thapa’s family in Lumbani.
After negotiations, the deceased’s family agreed to pardon him in lieu of Rs.2 million.
“As Shoukat’s family is not in a position to pay this amount, I want the NRIs, who can contribute, to help them. I am also approaching some of the NRI organizations,” Ravi said.
Recently, the Andhra Pradesh government agreed to pay Rs.500,000 to the wife of a murder victim in Kuwait as part of a settlement deal that will win a pardon for the murderer, another Kerala state native who is in a Kuwaiti prison awaiting execution.
Suresh was killed in November when he was attacked by his friend Simil in what was essentially a scuffle over a cricket match.