Want fish and meat three times a day, affairs with several women; Hameed is a dangerous criminal

IDUKKI: Hameed, who burned his son and family to death over a property dispute, was known as a dangerous criminal. His son, Muhammad Faizal, had questioned his father’s immoral lifestyle, which led to deep hatred between them. Hameed had lived a wayward life since his youth. Years ago, he left home and stayed with different women at different times. He was also known for his stubborn and aggressive nature, even over small issues like food.

Muhammad Faizal ran a grocery shop named Mehrin Stores at Cheenikkuzhi. The 58 cents of land, including the house where the murder took place, had been gifted by Hameed to his son years earlier, on the condition that Faizal would take care of his father’s expenses for the rest of his life. However, Hameed often quarrelled, claiming that Faizal did not serve him fish and meat three times a day.

Hameed filed a civil case in the Thodupuzha Munsiff Court demanding that his son return the property, and another case in the family court seeking money for his living expenses. After living for nearly 20 years with another woman in Karimban, Idukki, he returned to his son's house in 2019. He had repeatedly threatened to pour petrol and burn his son's family if the property was not returned.

Faizal had lodged a complaint with the police about his father's threats, after which Hameed began living in another room. With that incident, he made up his mind to kill Faizal and his family. He had even told others several times that he would get mutton to eat in jail.

The brutal murder took place at Cheenikkuzhi, Udumbannoor, Thodupuzha, at around 12.30 am on Saturday, March 19, 2022. The victims were Muhammad Faizal (45), his wife Sheeba, and their daughters Mehrin (16), and Asna (13). It was almost impossible for the locals to believe that the person who wiped out the family was none other than the children’s own grandfather. According to the case, Hameed cruelly murdered them by throwing bottles filled with petrol through the bedroom window and setting them on fire.

Before the attack, Hameed emptied the water tank of the house and cut off the electricity to the motor that supplied water from a nearby house. After confirming that Faizal and his family were asleep, he locked the bedroom door from outside, lit two bottles filled with petrol, and threw them inside through the window. As the flames spread, the family screamed and tried to put out the fire by running into the bathroom- but there was no water.

A neighbour named Rahul tried to stop Hameed and even pushed him down, but Hameed managed to get up and throw more burning petrol bottles through the window. Hearing the screams and explosive noise, other neighbours rushed to the spot, but the fire was too intense for them to enter. Police arrested Hameed the same night. With strong witness statements, circumstantial evidence and Hameed's own confession, the investigation was completed quickly and the charge sheet was filed.

Special Public Prosecutor Adv. M. Sunil Maheshwaran Pillai appeared for the prosecution. The prosecution examined 71 witnesses, while the defense presented three. A total of 139 documents, including electronic evidence, were submitted before the court.