The Kerala High Court upheld the beedi tycoon’s life sentence on Friday. Mohammed Nisham, a beedi tycoon, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the District Sessions Court. Nisham filed an appeal at the High Court against the Session Court’s judgment.
While hearing the case, a division bench of Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice C Jayachandran of the High Court ruled that all of Nisham’s appeals were dismissed. The Thrissur District Sessions Court sentenced Nisham to life imprisonment in January 2016, a year after the incident, after finding him guilty under sections 302, 326, 323, 324, 427, 449, and 506(1) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Along with this, a fine of Rs 80 lakh was also imposed on him.
A few years back, the Kerala High Court ordered the state government to produce a report on Nisham’s mental status when he was imprisoned at Kannur Central Prison. A Kannur district hospital medical board examined Nisham, and the government later notified the court that he did not have any mental issues.
The incident dates back to January 29, 2015, when Mohammed Nisham, the managing director of Tamil Nadu-based King Beedi Company was returning from a late-night party to his apartment in Thrissur in a Hummer SUV. Nisham had severely attacked his security guard K Chandrabose for the delay in opening the gate at the time. Chandrabose was first crushed by Nisham. He then used a rod to beat Chandrabose. When several people arrived and wanted to take Chandrabose to the hospital, Nisham objected.
Police later brought Chandrabose to Amala Hospital in Thrissur, where he succumbed to his injuries on February 16, 2015. Nisham was subsequently charged with murder. The trial court had ordered him to pay Rs 80 lakh in damages, of which Rs 50 lakh were provided to Chandrabose’s family. Nisham’s wife has filed a case of domestic violence against him.
Nisham’s time in prison was also controversial. Images of a lavish banquet with the cops in the jail surfaced once. Even at the time, the VIP treatment he received sparked controversy. In this case, five police officers were suspended.
Apart from the Chandrabose murder case, 11 criminal cases have been filed against Mohammed Nisham, according to media reports. Apart from being a significant tobacco dealer, he owned a hotel in Dubai, jewellery stores in the Middle East and Kerala (King’s Jewellers in Triprayar, Thrissur), and real estate. Nisham was labelled a goon when the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act was applied to him as an undertrial in the murder case (KAAPA).
He once locked a female cop in his luxury car. The officer attempted to interrogate him. Nisham led a lavish lifestyle. Nisham owned 18 luxury cars, including Bentley, Ashton Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, and Rolls Royce.