Mangaluru: In a landmark verdict, the First Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mallikarjuna Swamy H S, on Saturday handed life sentences to three men convicted in the 2014 double murder case tied to a gold smuggling dispute.

The accused — Mohammed Mahjeer Sanaf (25), Mohammed Irshad (24), and Mohammed Safwan (24), all from Kasaragod — were found guilty of murdering Nafeer (24) from Thalassery and Faheem (25) from Kozhikode. The court had declared them guilty on April 7 under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), and 201 (destruction of evidence), read with Section 34.

Public prosecutor Judith O M Crasta detailed the sentencing:

  • Life imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000 each under Section 120B.

  • Life imprisonment and ₹25,000 fine each for the murder of Faheem under Section 302 read with 34 IPC.

  • Another life term with ₹25,000 fine for the murder of Nafeer under the same sections.

  • Additionally, three years’ simple imprisonment and ₹5,000 fine under Section 201 for destruction of evidence.

    • All sentences will run concurrently. The court also ordered ₹1.2 lakh in compensation to be paid to Nafeer’s mother. The accused will receive a deduction for time already spent in custody under Section 428 CrPC.

    This gruesome case dates back to July 1, 2014, when Nafeer and Faheem were murdered after a fallout over the sale of 3kg of smuggled gold worth ₹73 lakh. The accused had helped in the operation but later turned on the victims. The bodies were buried in a pit dug on purchased land in Kasaragod, disguised as a coconut plantation effort. A police tip-off led to the arrest and recovery of both bodies and 2.7kg of gold.

    The prosecution examined 47 witnesses and 97 documents, initially led by Raju Poojary and later Judith Crasta. The judge’s strong sentencing is seen as a major step in delivering justice in complex organised crime cases.

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