THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was not the kind of return that Abdul Rahim, father of Affan, accused of killing five people, would have hoped for. Rahim landed from Dammam at 7.45 am after his travel ban was removed following intervention from social activists stationed in Saudi Arabia.
For Rahim, this homecoming after seven years was heart-wrenching, to say the least. An expat for the past 25 years, Rahim got stuck in the kingdom for the past few years due to financial issues and legal hurdles. Crushed down by the grief of losing his close family members — mother, son, brother and sister-in-law — that too to his elder son, Rahim was inconsolable.
After visiting Vamanapuram MLA D K Murali’s office, Rahim first went to see his wife, Shemi, who is recuperating in a private medical college near Venjaramoodu. A family source said Shemi held her husband’s hand and repeated what she had earlier told those who visited her- that she fell from the bed and got injured. Shemi is still unaware of the deaths in her family and has been trying to cover up the fact that she was attacked by her own son Afan, in a bid to protect him from blame. The source said she asked for her younger son Ahsan and Afan and was assured by Rahim that they were okay. Later, Rahim went to Thazhe Pangode mosque where the five people were buried and prayed at their graves. It was his son Ahsan’s grave he first visited where he broke into tears.
One of the relatives of Rahim told TNIE that he had mentioned about having a debt of Rs 20 lakh. “He has a debt of Rs 10 lakh in Saudi and Rs 10 lakh back home. Of that Rs 5 lakh was bank loan. He had asked Afan to sell off the home to clear debts,” the relative said.
The police, meanwhile, said they have found out more evidence that proved the financial trouble the family was in. Afan had borrowed Rs 65 lakh from more than a dozen people and many of the lenders used to create ruckus in front of his house after he delayed repaying them, said a cop.
The cop added that they have obtained almost all crucial evidence regarding the murders and Rahim’s statement will be recorded as a matter of formality.