M A I N   N E W S

17 Indians may escape death
Punjabi society in Dubai to give blood money to Pak victim’s family
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

What is blood money? The payment of blood money or “diya”, in which a homicide victim’s family accepts payment from the killers in return for waiving their right to seek the death penalty, is widely practised in many Arab countries. In the UAE, the blood money is AED 200,000 for all males residing in the country irrespective of their religion or nationality. The Sharia grants the family of a female, half the amount for a male, which is AED100, 000. However, the actual transaction can be more depending upon the paying capacity of the accused.

Chandigarh, June 21
Seventeen Punjabis facing the gallows in Sharjah on the charge of murdering a Pakistani national may escape the hangman’s noose with a Dubai-based Punjabi society finalising a deal with the victim’s family, which has agreed to accept blood money in exchange for forgiveness.

Seventeen construction workers from Punjab are in captivity since 16 months and were awarded death sentence on March 29 this year for bludgeoning Pakistan national Mishri Khan to death following a fight between two gangs dealing in illegal sale of liquor.

A victim’s family can accept ‘blood money’ in exchange of letting off the life of a condemned man in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Founding member of the Indian Punjabi Society (IPS) SP Singh Oberoi told TNS that the society had got in touch with the victim’s family at Bhalwal village in Sargodha district in Pakistan. He said the victim’s family had agreed to take blood money and sign a document agreeing to a compromise with all 17 accused.

Oberoi said the family had also agreed to come to Dubai on the next date of hearing in the case on July 14 and submit the compromise in the appeals court. He said once this was done, the death sentence would be revoked immediately. The youth would then face trial on charges of bootlegging and illegal stay in the UAE and they might get off with light sentences.

Oberoi said the entire process-seeking reprieve for the 17 youngsters had been initiated following the visit of former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to Dubai. He said the Punjabi community had got together after his visit and decided to make collective steps for the release of the youth.

The society has also initiated measures to provide relief to the incarcerated youth as well as their families. It is giving 200 dirhams every week to the youth so that they can make phone calls to their families on Sundays as well as partake of canteen facilities in the Sharjah jail. The society has also decided to extend financial help to the families of the youth in Punjab. It has sent the first relief cheque for Rs 2,500 to each of the 17 families in Punjab and will be doing so every month.

According to sources both Indians and Pakistanis are involved in bootlegging on a large scale and that around 5,000 Indians are in various jails on this charge alone.