MALAPPURAM: The special police team investigating the murder of Mysuru-based traditional medical practitioner Shaba Sharif faces many challenges in bringing it to its logical conclusion. As Shaba’s body was cut into pieces and thrown into the Chaliyar one-and-a-half years ago, it might not be possible for the police to recover these.Many on social media said the accused in the case might go unpunished as the police cannot recover the body.
Legal experts disagree. Zafarullah P M, a lawyer practising at Manjeri district court, said the missing body will not help culprits escape culpability. He said the police can gather several other strong pieces of evidence to prove the crime in the court.
“The police might turn one of the partners of main accused Shaibin Ashraf into an approver. The approver’s confession before the judge will act in their favour. Also, they can find the weapon(s) the culprits used to cut the body. They can also use the digital evidence they have got against Shaibin ,” he said. He said it is illogical to compare this case with the Chekannur Maulavi case though the police could not recover the bodies in it too.
“We cannot say eight of the nine accused in the Chekannur Maulavi case were acquitted as the body was missing. They were let off as the investigation team could not present enough proof to link them with the murder. One person was punished even after the probe officers failed to find the body,” Zafarullah said.
The police team on Thursday got Thangalakath Noushad, 41, of Sultan Bathery, who allegedly helped Shaibin, 42, in the crime, in custody to continue the investigation. Noushad was the one who gave a statement against Shaibin to the police and provided some digital evidence against him.
Nilambur Inspector of Police Vishnu P said Noushad would be taken to the crime spots — Shaibin’s house in Nilambur and Seethi Haji Bridge at Edavanna, from where the culprits threw pieces of Shaba’s body into the Chaliyar — as part of evidence collection. Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das said more people involved in the case would be arrested soon.Meanwhile, chances are high that the investigation into Shaba’s murder will reveal more crimes committed by Shaibin and his accomplices.
Also, Shaibin had amassed Rs 300 crore in wealth in the last ten years. “Our team will also investigate his sources of income. Other agencies like the Enforcement Directorate would also be conducting a detailed investigation into his wealth,” Das said.
The police would also look into the incident in which gelatine sticks were recovered from the house of a relative of Noushad in Wayanad last month. It is suspected that the explosives were kept in the house to murder a politician. The team would also investigate the involvement of a police officer in the sub-inspector rank who allegedly acted as a well-wisher of Shaibin.
Mysterious personality: Neighbours
People living near Shaibin’s house in Nilambur said he was a mysterious personality. “We have never seen him outside. We often saw him going into his house in his luxury car. He never interacted with us,” a resident said. Shaibin’s wife and a child had also lived in the house while Shaba was kept hostage. The police would question his wife.