A district court on Friday handed down the death penalty to Najubudheen alias Babu (44) for the cold-blooded murder of his wife Reheena in 2017. The court, led by Judge A V Teless, found Najubudheen guilty under Sections 302 and 404 of the Indian Penal Code.

Najubudheen was sentenced to death under Section 302 and fined ₹1 lakh. Additionally, he received five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹25,000 under Section 404. Failure to pay the fines will result in an extra year of imprisonment. The court directed that the fines, if paid, be given to Reheena’s mother, Subaida, and instructed the District Legal Services Authority to assist Subaida and Reheena’s son through the Victim Compensation Scheme. Najubudheen is now housed in Tavanur Central Prison.

Najubudheen and Reheena married in 2003, living in Parappanangadi. In 2011, he married a second wife and shifted her to his residence in Chudalaparambu, maintaining ties with both women. Their relationship with Reheena deteriorated amid frequent quarrels and distrust, leading Reheena to leave him and stay with her mother.

On July 23, 2017, Najubudheen lured Reheena to his slaughterhouse on the pretext of needing help with work. Around 2:15 am, he fatally slit her throat with a hidden knife, killing her instantly. He then took her gold chain weighing 36.43 grams.

Following the murder, Najubudheen fled, wandering through Thrissur, Palakkad, and Coimbatore, before being arrested near Parappanangadi Railway Station two days later. The case, built mainly on circumstantial and forensic evidence, included testimony from 41 witnesses and numerous documents.