Byndoor, Aug 15: A youth from Navunda near here has been awarded the capital punishment by a Saudi Arabian court for allegedly transporting narcotic drugs, recently.
Abdul Majeed (27), who has been convicted by the court recently, was working in Saudi Arabia as a driver since 2002. Majeed was arrested by the Saudi Police for carrying two kilograms of brown sugar on January 14, 2004. It is said that Saleem Sheikh Mastan, a friend of Majeed asked him to collect a bag from one Hamza Abubakker at Dammam Airport.
Accordingly, Majeed went and collected the bag from Abubakker. However, he was caught by the police while he was returning to Mastan’s place.
Earlier, the Shariat Court in Dammam had awarded eight years’ imprisonment and 800 lashes to Majeed. The court had pronounced death sentence to two others in connection with the incident. Meanwhile, another accused Nasiruddin was sentenced for five years’ imprisonment and 500 lashes in the case. However, the same court has now changed the verdict of Majeed into capital punishment after four years.
Those two convicts, who were awarded capital punishment in the case, had appealed for a review of the case in the upper court. Following this, the court bifurcated the case and started the review. After the review, the court modified the verdict as 15 years’ imprisonment as well as Penalty of 50,000 Riyal for Nasiruddin and awarded death sentence to Majeed.
Majeed and two others, who filed mercy petitions, are now counting their days in the Al-Faisaliya Jail in Dammam.
Family of Majeed in Navunda strongly suspect that Majeed might have been made a scapegoat in the episode. They suspect that Majeed, who did not know Arabic, might have been cheated by others.
Majeed belongs to a respected family in Navunda. His grandfather and uncle were all popular in political and social fields. Mother Beekunhi asserts that her son can never do such a crime. Father, who is a deaf by birth, still waits hopefully for his son’s return. The couple have four children including three sons and a daughter. Majeed’s relatives are trying their best through political leaders for the approval of his mercy petition.