New Delhi: The ministry of overseas Indian affairs has urged non-resident Indians in the Gulf to raise Rs 2 mn to be paid as blood money to save the life of an Indian on the death row in Kuwait.

Thikaseri, who is from Kerala's Kozhikode district, has been given capital punishment over the death of a Nepalese girl, Jamuna Thapa.

"I am appealing to all generous NRIs to contribute to save Shoukat Thikaseri, whose life will be spared if he pays blood money to the family of the deceased," Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said.

Thikaseri, who was a cleaner in a hotel at Jehra Al Khasar in Kuwait, reportedly fell in love with Thapa, a housemaid. They both tried to commit suicide after the girl's family opposed their marriage. While Thikaseri was saved, Thapa died. An Islamic court in Kuwait, however, sentenced him to death for the girl's death.

Ravi met Nepalese authorities in Abu Dhabi when he was there to attend the fourth ministerial consultation on overseas employment and contractual labour for countries of origin and destination in Asia. The Nepalese authorities helped the minister to trace Thapa's family in Lumbani. After negotiations, the deceased's family agreed to pardon Thikaseri in lieu of Rs 2 mn.

"As Shoukat's family is not in a position to pay this amount, I want NRIs who can contribute to help them. I am also approaching some NRI organisations," Ravi said.

Recently, the Andhra Pradesh government agreed to pay Rs 5,00,000 to the wife of a murder victim in Kuwait as part of a settlement deal that will win pardon for another man from Kerala in a Kuwaiti prison awaiting execution. Suresh was killed in November when a friend attacked him over a scuffle over a cricket match.

Source : IANS