The Kerala billionaire accused of ramming a security guard with his Hummer, has been found guilty and convicted for murdering his security guard.
In the early hours of 29 January 2015, beedi tycoon Mohammed Nisham ran over a security guard named Chandrabose after assaulting him in a luxury apartment in Thrissur in Kerala.
The case made national headlines and sparked widespread outrage following allegations that several high-profile people including the Kerala chief of police, were trying to influence the case.
What, When, How
- Nisham’s Hummer ran over security guard Chandrabose on 29 January 2015.
- Chandrabose got injured badly and is mercilessly beaten by Nisham.
- After Nisham is arrested, he pretends to be ‘sick’ so he could be set free.
- There was outrage following allegations of police officials influencing the case.
- Chandrabose’s statement was not recorded before his death on 16 February 2015.
- Former Kerala police commissioner Jacob Job was suspended for holding secret meeting with Nisham.
- The trial began on 25 July at a Thrissur District Court; judge KP Sudhir presided over the proceedings.
- Nisham’s defence argued, “Chandrabose died due to internal bleeding”.
- One of the key witnesses turned hostile, saying he was threatened. He later came back to his original statement.
- Nisham filed a petition in the Supreme Court on 20 November seeking transfer of his trial to a different state.
- After a court trial lasting 79 days, sessions court judge KP Sudheer pronounced the verdict.
Court Proceedings
Judge KP Sudheer arrived in court close to 11 am and pronounced the verdict in minutes. He asked Nisham to come forward and speak. Judge Sudheer asked Nisham how many children he had and whether his wife had a job.
Public Prosecutor Udaybhanu urged the court to consider Nisham’s past history of crime when prouncing the sentence. He also urged the court to consider that Nisham’s guilt was proven beyond reasonable doubt, and also the manner in which injury was inflicted. He also pointed out that the deceased security guard Chandrabose was unarmed and there was no reason for attack.
Udaybhanu has sought the death penality for Nisham, saying he is a “menace to society” and that the case qualified as ‘the rarest of rare’ cases.
The case has been a closely watched one in Kerala given Nisham’s notoriety and brushes with the law in the past.
Twists in the Case
Two months into the trial, the case suffered a setback as a key witness in the case Anoop, a security guard at Shobha Villas apartment, turned hostile, claiming on 26 October, that he had seen nothing. However, the following day, he told the court that his conscience would not let him lie to the court and stuck to his original statement – a description of how Nisham created a ruckus in the night, and chased Chandrabose in his Hummer and finally beat him brutally.
On 20 November, Nisham had approached the Supreme Court seeking that the trial be shifted out of the state. By then however, the Supreme Court had in a separate order, had directed the lower court to complete the trial by 31 January. The proceedings of the trial were completed in the first week of January.
Many Other Cases
Another controversy that the case was embroiled in was that the law firm run by the Kerala Advocate General’s KP Dandapani’s wife and son was accused of defending Nisham. However, when contacted, the pair denied this.
This is not Nisham’s first brush with the law. In the past, he has been booked for locking up a policewoman in his Rolls Royce. Once, he was caught for allowing his nine-year-old son to drive his Ferrari. That case is pending with the Child Welfare Committee.
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