The Manjeri Additional District and Sessions Court-1 on Saturday sentenced three accused to more than 13 years, 8 years and five years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) in the abduction and murder of Mysuru-based traditional healer Shaba Sherif.
Judge Thushar M sentenced first accused Shaibin Asharaff of Mukkatta near Nilambur to 13 years and 9 months rigorous imprisonment, 8 years and 9 months RI to second accused P Shihabudeen of Sulthan Bathery and 5 years and 9 months RI to sixth accused N Nishad of Nilambur.
The Judge also slapped a fine of Rs 2.30 lakh on first accused, Rs 60,000 on the second accused and Rs 30000 on the sixth accused respectively.
The court found the three guilty in the case under the charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, destruction of evidence and conspiracy angle on March 20 and pronounced the verdict today.
The court acquitted nine accused, including Shabin Shareef wife Fasna for lack of evidence.
The Special Investigation Team(SIT), who probed the case had named 15 people as accused in the case, seventh accused Nowshad, cooperated with the SIT by turning approver and providing crucial video evidence showing the victim being tortured.
While one of the accused Fazal died at Goa and another accused Shameem is still at large.
Investigation Officer and Malappuram Circle Inspector Vishnu said the three accused will be sent to Thavanur Central Jail here.
This is said to be the first time in the legal history of Kerala that a murder case has been successfully prosecuted without recovering the victim's body or human parts.
Mysore based traditional healer Shaba Sheriff residing at Vijayanagar in Mysuru in Karnataka believed to cure piles, was abducted by Shaibin Asharaff led gang in August 2019 and made him captive over 18 months at his house in Mukkatta with a motto to extract secret formula for a potent herbal remedy and knowledge of healing natural medicine to cure piles and make money by trading in medicines and also planning to open a hospital in Wayanad.
Following this Shaba Sheriff's family lodged a missing complaint before the Saraswathipuram police station in August 2019.
Shaba Sheriff did not reveal the secrets of the medicines even after being chained for 18 months and tortured brutally. The gang later killed him on October 8, 2020 and the body was dumped in the Chaliyar river near Edavanna in Malappuram district.
The crime came to light on April 23, 2022, when Shaibin Asharaff filed a police complaint claiming he had been attacked at his residence and a theft of Rs 3 lakh and a computer. Subsequently, three of the accused threatened of self immolation,(due to fearing retaliation from Shebin Asharaff) during a demonstration before the Kerala Secretariat on April 28.
Police overpowered them and during the questioning after their arrest, they confessed the murder of Shaba Sheriff and involvement of Shaibin Asharaff and others.The trial began in February 2024 and testified 80 witnesses and verified scientific documents related to the case.(UNI)
