Shaba Shareef murder case; Main accused sentenced to 11 years and nine months in prison

MALAPPURAM: The Manjeri court gave the final verdict in the murder of Mysuru-based traditional healer Shaba Shareef. The court has sentenced the main accused Shaibin Ashraf to 11 years and nine months in prison, the second accused Shihabuddin to six years and nine months, and the sixth accused Nishad to three years and nine months in prison.

The verdict came from the Manjeri Additional District Sessions Court. The accused have been found guilty of culpable homicide, conspiracy and destruction of evidence. The court acquitted 12 people accused in the case.

It is noteworthy that the murder was proven using scientific evidence as the body was not recovered. The DNA test results of the hair found in Shaibin’s car proved decisive.

On August 1, 2019, Shaba Shareef was kidnapped from his home in Mysuru and was kept hostage and tortured at Shaibin’s house. The gang wanted Shareef to reveal the secret behind his haemorrhoid treatment. After a year of gruelling torture, Shareef was murdered on October 8, 2020. His body was dismembered, tied up in a sack, and dumped in the Chaliyar River.

The seventh accused in the case, Noushad, was made a witness. The 14th accused, Fazil, died last year while undergoing treatment for kidney disease. The 15th accused, Shamim, who lives near the old post office in Mukatta, Nilambur, has not been arrested yet. 80 witnesses were examined in the case, including Shaba Shareef's wife, children, grandson, and brother.

Shaibin’s goal was to make money by selling special drugs. For this he wanted the secrets of the trade from Shaba Shareef.