The First Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru has acquitted four accused in the 2017 murder case of rowdy Khalia Rafiq in Ullal’s Kotekar. The court delivered its verdict, clearing Noorali, Zia alias Isubu Shiyad, Rashid, and Majeeb alias Kallatra Najeeb K.A. of all charges.
The incident took place on February 2, 2017, when a tipper lorry was deliberately rammed into a car carrying Khalia Rafiq and his friends on the Kotekar National Highway. As Rafiq attempted to flee towards a nearby petrol station, the accused reportedly chased him, shot him with a pistol, and then attacked him with swords, resulting in his death.
Initially, nine individuals were identified as suspects in this case. Of these, four have now been acquitted by the court. One accused has since passed away, while another has absconded and failed to appear for the trial. The remaining suspects have not been apprehended.
Senior advocates Y. Vikram Hegde, Rajesh K.G., and Abdul Azeez Bayer represented the defendants in court.
This verdict marks a significant development in a case that has been ongoing for several years, highlighting the complexities of the legal process in high-profile criminal cases.