from P A Hameed Padubidri
Correspondent, Daijiworld News Network, Saudi Arabia
Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Feb 1: Sheikh Riyaz Sheikh Abdullah, a Mangalorean, who was also known as Iftikhar, was brutally stabbed to death on January 28 in the heart of Dammam city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Riyaz, alias Iftikhar
He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but he died of excessive bleeding. The incident occurred in his room in Dammam in daylight around 1.30 pm local time (4.00 pm IST) near the well-known Seiko Building .
The dead body was taken to Dammam Central Hospital after completion of the legal procedure of 'mahajar' of the death spot (Qarar-al-Taqsheer) by the Dammam Northern Region Police (Shurta Shamaliya) and was kept in the Hospital mortuary, pending execution of all necessary formalities. The prime culprits, four Saudis and two Bangaldeshis and other suspects have been arrested and jailed by the police within six hours of the crime.
The motive of murder is still unclear. Many, including immediate neighbours, are of the opinion that it was a sheer case of robbery leading to murder, taking into consideration they carried with some deadly weapons when they entered into the victim’s room. The Daijiworld correspondent was able to collect some information from some of the Mangaloreans who wanted to remain anonymous in view of security, that the accused with the instigation and abetment of some notorious Bangladeshis adjacent to his room, broke into his room with deadly arms and attacked Sheikh Riyaz to loot money from him. When he resisted they pierced him with the sharp-edged weapons to death and fled the scene.
Hathim Kana, the brother-in-law of the murdered, who runs the Hajj Tours and Travels in Dammam, said, “It was a pure case of robbery-cum-murder and the culprits will not be pardoned at all for their heinous crime that put us in utter shock and grief which cannot be forgotten at all; I appreciate the Police with all my heart for their quick action in putting the offenders behind the bars and bringing them to justice within the short time of the incident”.
The accused are said to have confessed to the crime of murder. Unlike the Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act, the confession made before the police is admissible in the Court of Law in the Kingdom as per the Saudi Criminal Procedure Code based on the Shariah Rule. If the guilt is proved beyond reasonable doubt in the Shariah Court, then the accused will be convicted and sentenced to death with the final approval from the Court of Cassation (i.e. the Final Court of Appeal) unless pardoned by the close relatives of the victim and the Diyah (blood money) will be ordered to be awarded to the blood relative of the murdered.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is only the country where the crime rate is very less when compared to the other countries of the world because of stringent application of the law. However the certain crimes are now and then being reported to have been committed by the undesirable and anti-social elements in the Kingdom.
It is informed that the deceased has been in the Kingdom for fifteen years and was in the sales of electronic items. His parents the late Sheikh Abdullah and Ayshabi, who hailed from Suralpady in Mangalore Taluk in Karnataka state had three children - two sons and a daughter. The deceased was the eldest son, who was survived by his mother, brother Abdul Rahman and only sister and other relatives and friends. His Brother and sister are in Dammam. The postmortem of the dead body was carried out in the Central Hospital since it is the case of MLC (Medico-Legal Case). His sponsor Hussein Abdullah Al Suleiman is very cooperative and sympathetic and got himself actively involved in getting all the procedures done and was present at the time of postmortem.
It has been confirmed by the Daijiworld correspondent and advocate P A Hameed from the Indian Embassy attaché K. Muralidharan-who is very helpful and dedicated officer in the Embassy-that the Letter of Consent and other required documents from his mother duly attested by the Notary Public in Mangalore was already received by fax by him for the necessary action.
P A Hameed is in constant contact with K Muralidharan in this regard in order to get the formalities done as early as possible. He is awaiting the necessary report and papers from the different departments in the Kingdom that is expected to receive on 3rd Feb.
Hathim Kana, brother-in-law of the deceased, Hasan Bawa Suralpady, a senior resident in the Kingdom, Rahim Kavoor, Sherief Karkala, Samad Katipalla, Azad Krishnapura, Nasir Katipalla and others are actively involved in the process of the formalities and other works. The dead body is expected to be handed over to the relatives by the hospital officials on February.4 and probably the same day funeral rite will be held in Dammam cemetery.