2 from Kerala executed in UAE on murder charges; MEA confirms

New Delhi: Two Indian nationals from Kerala, convicted in separate murder cases, have been executed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday. The individuals, identified as Muhammed Rinash Arangilottu and Muraleedharan Perumthatta Valappil, were sentenced to death after being found guilty in two different cases.

The highest court in the UAE, the Court of Cassation, upheld their sentences, leading to their executions. Muhammed Rinash was convicted of murdering an Emirati national, while Muraleedharan was sentenced for killing an Indian.

The UAE authorities informed the Indian Embassy about the executions on February 28. According to the MEA, the embassy had provided all possible legal and consular assistance to both individuals, including submitting mercy petitions and pardon requests to the UAE government.

"The families of the concerned have been informed. The Embassy is in touch with them and is facilitating their participation in the last rites," the MEA stated.

Muraleedharan had been in jail since 2009. His father, Kesavan, had previously sought help from the then Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other political leaders in an attempt to secure relief for his son.

Limited information is available about Rinash and his family, as most of his relatives are reportedly settled abroad.

The executions come just weeks after a similar case in the UAE. On February 15, a 33-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh, Shahzadi Khan, was executed in Abu Dhabi. She had been convicted of allegedly killing a four-month-old child under her care in December 2022. The child had died after receiving routine vaccinations, and Shahzadi, who was employed as a caregiver, was accused of causing the death.