An Indian from the Kerala region narrowly escaped being beheaded in the religious apartheid kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the capital crime of entering a Muslims-only area in the “holy” city of Medina: Death penalty: Saudi court spares Keralite. (Hat tip: a.)

A Keralite, who was reportedly facing death sentence in Saudi Arabia, has been set free due to timely intervention of Indian authorities.

Jojo Joseph of Edathua in the district was on Monday ordered to be beheaded for entering the holy place of Medina despite a bar on non-Muslims.

According to Jojo’s family members in Edathua, the Saudi authorities later took a lenient view of the case after they were convinced that he did not deliberately commit the mistake.

Jojo, employed in an electronic shop in Jeddah, ran into trouble while rushing in a cab to a hospital where his wife had given birth to a child. The taxi driver took a wrong route and strayed into the prohibited area, his family members said.

The Indian was then spotted by religious volunteers, who handed him to police.