KOZHIKODE: Kondotty Mujeeb aka Mujeeb Rahman, who was arrested for the murder of Anu Prajil of Valoor near Perambra recently, is a notorious criminal with 56 cases registered against him in various police stations across the Malabar region. Mujeeb allegedly drowned Anu in a stream and stole her ornaments on March 11, after offering her a lift on a stolen motorbike.
Booked for the first time at the age of 20 for the murder of a Tirur jewellery shop owner, the 48-year-old has been involved in various crimes including sexual assault, robbery, and plunder, and the list goes on. Though booked, Mujeeb had walked out of jail in most cases after securing bail. What is baffling people is how a person with such a chilling criminal history could be let roaming free.
An elderly woman, who was sexually assaulted by Mujeeb at Mutheri near Mukkom in 2020, told TNIE that he should be hanged for all the crimes he committed. “Had he been punished earlier, Anu of Perambra would not have been killed,” she said.
Operating with a calculated precision, Mujeeb’s criminal activities revolved around exploiting the vulnerability of unsuspecting women. His modus operandi: Offer lifts to people on his motorbike or other stolen vehicles, including autorickshaw, only to swiftly transform into a predator, snatching the victims’ valuables before disappearing into the abyss of anonymity.
Born in Kondotty, Rahman’s early life remains a mystery, with scant details emerging about his upbringing. Yet, what unfolds is a narrative of deviance and deceit that has left a trail of trauma in many lives. As many as 13 cases have been registered against Mujeeb in Kondotty. For local residents, Mujeeb has always been a fierce person and has maintained little relations with the people of his native place.
According to the 2020 Mutheri rape case survivor, a hotel worker, she faced brutal sexual assault at the hands of Mujeeb, who gave her a lift in a stolen autorickshaw in July. He reportedly tied her up and raped her, before stealing her money. Mujeeb, who was arrested for the case, escaped after tricking the police but was caught from Koothuparamba in Kannur district. “In that case, the accused was remanded for one and a half years,” said Perambra DySP K M Biju.
56 cases registered against Mujeeb in six districts
“He is a habitual offender. From sociopathic tendencies to a predatory instinct honed by years of criminal behaviour, Rahman’s profile paints a portrait of a man driven by urges towards money and sex,” Biju said.
In the Mutheri case, though the police filed the chargesheet on time, the trial got delayed and he later secured a bail from the court.
In the latest incident, Mujeeb, who reached Iringannur near Perambra on March 11 on a bike stolen from Mattannur, saw Anu, who was walking from her own house to go to the hospital with her husband. He approached the 26-year-old woman saying he would drop her off at a nearby place, if necessary. He was wearing a helmet and a coat. According to the police, the woman, who initially hesitated to get on the vehicle, later took the lift thinking that he might be someone from the neighbourhood. On the way, Mujeeb pushed her into a nearby stream and killed her by stomping her head in the water. He then snatched away her ornaments.