KOZHIKODE: The Special Additional Sessions Court (Marad cases), Kozhikode, on Wednesday convicted nine accused in the Kodiyathur Shaheed Bava murder case. Special Judge S Krishnakumar acquitted five accused, while police are yet to arrest one accused. The quantum of punishment for the guilty will be pronounced on Thursday.
In a case of moral policing, Shaheed Bava was lynched by a mob at Kodiyathur, near Mukkom, in November 2011. It relates to 15 persons beating up the 27-year-old with sticks, after tying his hands and legs to an electric post on the night of November 9 for allegedly having an affair with a married woman at Kodiyathur.
He died of injuries in a private hospital in the city on November 13. The court found first accused Kodiyathur Abdurahman, alias Cheriyappa, 54, third accused Abdul Kareem, 52, fourth accused Abdul Nasar, alias Auto Nasar, 28, fifth accused Fayaz Aboobacker, 25, sixth accused Najid Hyder, 19, eighth accused Rashid Abdurahiman, 19, ninth accused Hijas Rahman, alias Katta, 20, tenth accused Muhammed Hamsheer, alias Pala Jamsheer and eleventh accused K Shahul Hameed, 26, guilty under various sections of the IPC.
Pronouncing the verdict, the court expressed concern if moral policing was approved by any democratic system adopted by a country like India.
“If people punish wrongdoers according to their whims and fancies, it has to be stated that they are acting as moral police. If such a practice is accepted by modern society (not the Taliban model), that will lead to anarchy and failure of the rule of law in the country,” it noted. As the prosecution failed to prove the charges, the court acquitted five men, namely second accused Muhammed Salim, seventh accused Irshad Kuyyil, twelfth accused Jaffer, alias Bichutta, thirteenth accused E Ayoob and fourteenth accused K Murshid.
