03 June 2021 :
A Keralite who was awaiting capital execution in the United Arab Emirates for causing the death of a young boy got a new lease of life as NRI tycoon M A Yusuff Ali extended a helping hand by paying a compensation (blood money) of Rs 10 million (500,000 dirhams) to the victim's family.
Becks Krishnan, 45, a native of Puthenchira in Thrissur district, has been languishing in Al Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi for the past seven years as the UAE Supreme Court sentenced him to capital punishment in 2013.
Becks Krishnan was working with a private company in Abu Dhabi when he was involved in the incident. On 7 September 2012, he was driving to Musaffah to attend a job-related meeting when he lost control over the wheel and the car rammed into a group of kids playing on the roadside. A young Sudani boy died in the accident and the Abu Dhabi police slapped murder charges against him. The police collected CCTV footage as proof and the court awarded the death penalty.
As all their efforts to save him failed, the family approached NRI businessman M A Yusuff Ali with the help of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sethumadhavan. Meanwhile, the family of the victim had returned and settled in Sudan, which made efforts for mediation impossible.
Yusuff Ali collected the whereabouts of the family in Sudan and flew down to the African country, where he succeeded in convincing the family of the victim to pardon Krishnan after extensive parleys. He brought the family of the victim to Abu Dhabi for talks at one stage. In January 2021, the family of the victim agreed to pardon Krishnan and Yusuff Ali paid a compensation of 5 lakh dirhams. Krishnan is expecting release soon and he will be returning to Kerala, said a relative.
Krishnan told Indian Embassy officials who visited him for sanctioning his out pass that it was a rebirth for him and he had lost hope of meeting his family.
He said he was waiting to meet Yusuff Ali and convey his gratitude for saving him from the noose.
Yusuff Ali, who thanked the Almighty for saving Becks Krishnan, wished him peace and good luck.
