Kerala beedi baron convicted for hit-and-run 11 months after incident

A Kerala court on Wednesday convicted beedi tycoon Mohammed Nisham, who had crushed to death a security guard with his luxury vehicle Hummer over delay in opening the gates of a posh residential complex in Thrissur on 29 January last year.

The quantum of punishment would be pronounced on Thursday by the additional sessions court which found Nisham guilty under various sections of IPC including 302 (murder), 326 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons, 427 (committing mischief).

The prosecution on Friday argued for maximum punishment of death sentence and a compensation of Rs5 crore to the family of the 51-year-old security guard Chandrabose.

Public prosecutor C.P. Udayabhanu submitted that the "society wanted the maximum punishment meted out to the accused, who was a threat to the society".

Police charge sheet had contained scientific evidence and other documents to prove the charges, including murder, against Nisham.

Though Nisham's wife Amal was a witness to the incident, she had later turned hostile. Statements of 12 eyewitnesses, including that of Amal, had been recorded under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Besides, statements of over 100 witnesses had also been recorded and attached with the charge sheet.

Nisham, who was in an inebriated state, had allegedly in a fit of rage assaulted Chandrabose and later rammed his luxury vehicle into him over delay in opening the gate of his residential complex here on 29 January last year.

The guard succumbed to injuries on 16 February. The case had evoked widespread protests across the country.

- PTI