Death penalty: Saudi court spares Keralite
Wednesday, December 20, 2006 (Alappuzha (Kerala)):
A Keralite, who was reportedly facing death sentence in Saudi Arabia, has been set free due to timely intervention of Indian authorities.
Jojo Joseph of Edathua in the district was on Monday ordered to be beheaded for entering the holy place of Medina despite a bar on non-Muslims.
According to Jojo's family members in Edathua, the Saudi authorities later took a lenient view of the case after they were convinced that he did not deliberately commit the mistake.
Jojo, employed in an electronic shop in Jeddah, ran into trouble while rushing in a cab to a hospital where his wife had given birth to a child. The taxi driver took a wrong route and strayed into the prohibited area, his family members said.
The Indian was then spotted by religious volunteers, who handed him to police.
Jojo's brother-in-law sought former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's help in the matter. Chandy contacted the Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Minister of state for External Affairs E Ahmed.
The two ministers acted swiftly and secured the release of Jojo through the intervention of Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia. (PTI)