Kerala - Kozhikode

Five-year jail term for hired goon

Kozhikode: The Kozhikode Additional Assistant Session Court on Wednesday sentenced a hired goon to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs.10,000 on charges of attempting to murder a businessman hailing from Wayanad district six years ago.

Writing the judgment, judge K.P. Sudheer found Mohammed Cheriappu, 36, guilty under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused slashed Mohammed Ali, hailing from Ambalavayil, with a sword on the ninth hairpin bend on the Wayanad ghat road on April 30, 2002.

The court also ordered the accused to pay a sum of Rs.5,000 to the victim, failing which he would have to undergo an additional six months of imprisonment.

The sentence assumes significance in the context that a hired goon is getting convicted in a case in recent times in the district.

Mohammed Ali, who was riding a motorbike, was blocked on the ghat road. The accused then tried to slash the neck of the victim but the latter dodged the attack. But, his hand was almost severed in the attack. He then ran towards a police aid post for help.

The Thamarassery police admitted him to the Kozhikode Medical College from where he was referred to the Specialists Hospital in Ernakulam to undergo a surgery to get his hand fixed.

Mohammed is the first accused in the case. Earlier, five accused, including his brother-in-law Ibrahimkutty, were acquitted. Two of the accused are still at large.

According to the prosecution, Ibrahimkutty had hired the goons to kill Mohammed Ali following a dispute over their business dealings. However, the prosecution was not able to prove the conspiracy.

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