13 June 2021 :
An Indian expat on death row in the UAE returned home on 9 June 2021 after languishing in jail for almost nine years in a road accident case.
Becks Krishnan, a Keralite, faced capital punishment for causing the death of a Sudanese boy in September 2012. His release was secured following the intervention of Lulu Group chairman M.A. Yusuff Ali, who paid Dh500,000 as compensation in court.
Lulu Group International is a multinational conglomerate company that operates a chain of hypermarkets and retail companies, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 2000 by M. A. Yusuff Ali who hails from Nattika, Thrissur district in Kerala.
Lulu Group has now offered Krishnan a job.
Yusuff Ali said: “He has been offered a suitable job anywhere in our organisation. Our intention was to let him spend quality time with family without having to worry about his future. Whenever he wishes to start working, he will have a job ready at one of our establishments. The job location can be anywhere in our organisation as per his wish.”
Krishnan departed from Abu Dhabi on 8 June night, and reached Kochi early morning on 9 June.
“This is a second lease of life for me. I am very happy. I am back home because of Yusuff Ali. Ever since he intervened in my case, I had renewed hope in my life,” Krishnan, who hails from Thrissur district, said after landing at the Kochi International Airport.
There were emotional scenes as Krishnan’s wife Veena and son Advaith received Krishnan at the airport.
“I am grateful to Yusuff sir and family,” Veena said.
Once home, Krishnan’s mother broke down seeing her son.
Even since 2012, Krishnan’s family and friends have been trying for his release from prison but without any success. The family then approached Yusuff Ali, who took up the matter, flew down the victim’s family from Sudan to Abu Dhabi for a month and held extensive discussions to arrive at a compensation amount and secure pardon for Krishnan.
Yusuff Ali pointed out the act of kindness was not following his chopper accident in April but the result of a long-drawn process involving multiple stakeholders.
M.A. Yusuff Ali, his wife and five others on 11 April 2021 had a miraculous escape after a private chopper they were travelling belly-landed in a swamp at Panangad, near Kochi, in Kerala. All seven passengers including two pilots were admitted at the Lakeshore Hospital, Kumbalam, near Kochi, with minor injuries.
“I am not trying to do ‘sadaqa’ (charity) following my chopper accident. I paid the compensation amount in January. He is a young man and has a family. You can’t measure the value of a life with money. Now he has reached home,” Yusuff Ali said.
