Riyas Maulavi murder case: Court says prosecution failed to prove RSS involvement

Kasaragod: In the sensational Riyas Maulavi murder case, the court has pointed out the failure on the part of the prosecution in proving the role of fanatic RSS activists, even as the charge sheet had maintained that the murder was carried out with an intention of creating a communal conflict. 

Special public prosecutor T Shajith appeared for the prosecution, while advocates T Sunilkumar and Binu S Kulamakkad represented the defendants.

The verdict was pronounced within five minutes of the court proceeding at 11 am on Saturday. Kannur Crime Branch SP Dr. A Srinivas, who led the investigation, Riyas Maulavi’s wife Saida, daughter Fathima Shebeeba, and Moulavi’s brother T S Abdul Qader, were also present at the court to hear the verdict. 

Karnataka native Mohammed Riyas Maulavi was brutally murdered at midnight on 21 March 2017. Perpetrators allegedly barged into his room and stabbed him to death. The charge sheet had also stated that the murder was a continuation of the conflict that occurred during a shuttle tournament held at Meepuguri, two days before the incident. 

In the case registered by the Kasaragod Police, the accused were arrested by a team led by Coastal Inspector P K Sudhakaran.

The charge sheet was filed in June, 2017 in the case, during the trial of which, 97 witnesses were examined. Scientific evidence, including 215 documents, 45 crucial pieces of evidence and DNA test results, were submitted before the court. The judgment is documented in a total of 170 pages.