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An Indian and two Sri Lankans have been beheaded in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for robbing a house and murdering a woman four years ago. The Indian, Mohammad Naushad, who was executed on Wednesday along with the two Sri Lankans, was a resident of Pattambi in Kerala, said sources in the Indian Consulate at Jeddah.
"Although there has been no communication from their (the authorities) end, as is always the case, we have got confirmation from the Arabic media that he (Naushad) has been executed," they said.
Quoting a ministry statement, the official SPA agency reported that the Indian man and two Sri Lankans, named Bandar Nikar and Halima Abdelkader, have been executed in the case.
"This case goes back to November 2005 when a gang of 12 robbed a house and murdered a Saudi woman. The judgment was delivered in June 2007," a source said.
According to him, seven others were convicted in the case and handed over five-year jail terms, besides 500 lashes.
"We tried our best to save the Indian national from execution. First, we jointly pursued the matter with the Sri Lankan consulate, but there was no breakthrough. Even appeals for pardon to Saudi authorities were rejected," he said.
Following the execution, the bodies were not handed over to the family or the consulates and were buried by the authorities. This was the first execution this year in the southern region of Saudi Arabia.