Dubai: An Indian man, who was jailed for killing six people in a road accident in Saudi Arabia, has been released after the family of the victims agreed to a blood-money deal.
Sulieman Abubakr, 55, from Karnataka was driving on the highway to Saudi capital of Riyadh in April 2008 when his truck collided with a vehicle, killing six members of a Saudi family.
The accident occurred about 200 km from Taif after which Abubakr was arrested.
Abubakr was freed from Taif Central Jail on Monday after his company's insurer paid the blood-money, the Arab News report said.
"After a hearing in the case, a Taif court ruled that $179,992 (675,000 Saudi riyals) be paid in blood money to the family members of the accident victims," said E M Abdulla, general coordinator of the India Fraternity Forum.
"The family members of the accident victims never asked for execution. They had asked for the blood money, but the insurance company was reluctant at first," Abdulla told the newspaper.
Abubakr had only been on the job for three months when the accident took place.
Members of the India Fraternity Forum from Taif, Riyadh and Jeddah negotiated with the family of the dead, the insurance company and the authorities to reach a settlement.
"Abubakr's family in India is very poor and needed financial and moral support, which the forum members provided," Abdulla was quoted as saying.
India Fraternity Forum members as well as the welfare section of the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, were instrumental in negotiating a settlement in the tragic case.
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