The Neyyattinkara Additional District Court has sentenced seven people who were found guilty for the murder of Vellayani native Rafeeq six years ago to rigorous imprisonment (RI) for life and a fine of ₹1 lakh each.
Judge S. Subhash found the convicted persons – Karakkamandapam natives Ansakeer, Noufal, Arif, Ashar and Ashiq, Malik of Attukal, and Rahman of Nemom – to be guilty under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
While they were also found guilty under other provisions, including Sections 147 (rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) and 341 (wrongful restraint), the first four accused were also charged under Section 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon). A default of the fines would lead to additional imprisonment for one year. The court also ordered that the family of the victim should be provided compensation.
According to the prosecution led by public prosecutor M. Salahudeen, the murder had occurred on the national highway near Vellayani on December 7, 2016. The murder had been orchestrated to avenge an attack by a rival gang that included the victim, Rafeeq, on the prime accused Ansakeer’s uncle Abu Shakeer.
Rafeeq was thrashed using a whip tree stick and dragged a considerable distance before being abandoned by the gang. The Nemom police had arrested all the accused the following day.
While eight prosecution witnesses turned hostile during the trial, a DNA test found that a blood stain found on Ansakeer’s shirt belonged to the victim, which turned crucial in the investigation.
The prosecution presented 47 witnesses, 54 documents and 26 evidence. While the case had been initially probed by Nemom police inspector Dileep Kumar Das, it was handed over to J.K. Dinil, who was then Assistant Commissioner, Fort, after Rafeeq’s family moved the High Court.
