Kerala HC upholds life imprisonment of beedi baron in murder case

Kochi, Sep 16: The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed an appeal filed by beedi baron Mohammed Nisham challenging a trial court order sentencing him for life for killing a security guard in a fit of rage by ramming his luxury vehicle in Thrissur district seven years ago.

A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justices K Vinod Chandran and C Jayachandran upheld the trial court order sentencing Nisham for life.

The high court also dismissed a government plea seeking maximum penalty of death sentence to Nisham.

In its 2016 order, the trial court in Thrissur had also awarded 24 years in jail in addition for Nisham and slapped a fine of Rs 80.30 lakh on him.

He is currently serving his jail term.

Nisham, who was in an "inebriated" state, had allegedly in a fit of rage assaulted Chandrabose (51) and later rammed his luxury vehicle against him in the early hours of 29 January, 2015. He was irked over the delay in the guard opening the main gates of a posh residential complex 'Shobha city' in Thrissur.

The severely injured guard, treated in a hospital with ventilator support, died on 16 February. The case had evoked widespread protests across the state.