In a rare and landmark verdict, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Malappuram’s Manjeri has convicted three men for the murder of a traditional medicine practitioner, despite the victim’s body never being found.
The court found industrialist Shaibin Ashraf (37) of Mukkatta in Nilambur, his manager Ponnakkaran Shihabudeen (39) of Sulthan Bethery in Wayanad, and Nishad (32) guilty of the crime. The quantum of their sentence will be pronounced on Saturday, 22 March. Nine other accused were acquitted on Thursday, 20 March.
The case dates back to 1 August 2019, when traditional healer Saba Sharif was kidnapped from his residence in Vijayanagar, Mysuru. For three years, there was no trace of him until 29 August 2022, when three men attempted to stage a suicide drama in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.
The police intervened and prevented them from self-immolating. Their actions led investigators to a robbery complaint lodged on 24 August, where Ashraf had alleged that six men had stolen Rs 7 lakh from his residence.
During interrogation, the suspects revealed that the suicide bid was a staged act and led the police to the horrifying murder of 60-year-old Sharif. They also claimed their lives were in danger. As evidence, the men provided a pen drive containing footage of Sharif being held captive at Ashraf’s Nilambur residence.
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Despite Ashraf’s initial denial, the investigation revealed that Sharif had been tortured to death. His body was dismembered using a chainsaw and butcher’s knife before being disposed of in the River Chaliyar from the Seethi Haji Bridge at Edavanna.
Meanwhile, Sharif’s family had reported his disappearance to the Saraswathipura police in Mysuru back in August 2019. The investigation further uncovered that he was kidnapped under the pretense of possessing a non-existent panacea for piles and was ultimately murdered on 8 October 2020.
Although the victim’s body was never recovered, forensic evidence, including DNA traces found in Ashraf’s car, played a crucial role in securing the conviction.
This case marks the first instance in Kerala’s legal history where a murder conviction has been achieved without the discovery of the victim’s remains.
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