Chandrabose murder case: 'I am innocent' beedi tycoon Nisham tells court

Mohammed Nisham, the prime accused in the Chandrabose murder case on Thursday denied any wrongdoing on his part in the Thrissur Additional Sessions Court.

This is the first time that Nisham’s statement in the court is being reported.

He had reportedly alleged that the statements made by the three witnesses were false and said that he was unaware how the victim was injured.

The Beedi tycoon was charged under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the murder of K Chandrabose (47) at a posh residential township in Thrissur, where Nisham owns an apartment.

On January 29, Nisham allegedly rammed Chandrabose with his luxury Hummer when the latter failed to open the gate promptly. The security personnel succumbed to his injuries two weeks later on February 16. 

The Chandrabose murder case has seen multiple twists and turns earlier with once the court declaring one of the witnesses hostile and Nisham seeking a court outside Kerala to conduct the trial crying custodial violence.

However, the businessman is no stranger to crime as he also faces charges under Kerala's stringent Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) as there are 13 other cases against him for different crimes and anti-social activities. 

The News Minute has the statement given by the prime witness of the case Anoop before a magistrate, recorded under CrPC 164 on February 21, 2015.

"I have been working at Shobha City for the past three months, my duty is to man the main gate. Four people do the patrolling during the day and another four people including me in the night.

Chandrabose was a staff hired by Shoba group and he was in charge of noting all gate entries. 

Due to one of the supervisors being on leave, I was forced to do morning and night shift that day.

Sitting inside the cabin, around 3:15 am, I saw a vehicle approaching the gate. Another supervisor, Girish Kumar opened the first barricade and allowed the Hummer, which was a familiar vehicle to come inside. The Hummer (car registration number: P4039999) came in full speed. 

There is a curve after the barricade, and as the vehicle was out of control, the left tyre banged into the compound wall. The vehicle stopped and Nisham came out of the driver's seat and I too walked out of my cabin.

A very angry Nisham then shook the barricade and using expletives said that one day he would remove it. Hearing the noise, Chandrabose came to the gate and asked Nisham what was wrong. Nisham started yelling at Chandrabose and asked who the hell he was to question him. 

Then he started hitting Chandrabose. After receiving 4-5 blows, Chandrabose rushed to the cabin and locked himself inside. 

Nisham started kicking the cabin door while I and another guard tried to stop him. He was very drunk and tried to assault the other guard also.

Nisham then took a baton which was lying outside the cabin and broke the glass of the cabin. He went inside through the cabin window and started beating up Chandrabose.

After beating Chandrabose mercilessly, he came out through the cabin window and threatened us, he said that he had a gun (but did not show the gun).

As soon as we heard this, we ran in different directions. I then saw him making a call on his mobile, he then turned to Chandrabose and gesticulated that he will shoot him. I came rushing back to the cabin and yelled to Chandrabose. 'Boseetta, run out through the window.' Chandrabose then jumped out.

I also frantically called (using mobile phone) our assignment manager and a Shobha staff to come to the spot.  Chandrabose and I started running, we were near the side of the fountain. Meanwhile, Nisham got into the car and followed us, Chandrabose was just 20-30 meters behind me. 

As Chandrabose turned to look back, the car came in full speed, rammed into him, crashing into the wall of the fountain. The car in full speed climbed the platform on which the fountain was standing and rammed into Chandrabose. The front two tyres crashed into the fountain wall throwing Chandrabose to the side.

In spite of one of the tyres bursting, Nisham reversed the car, stopped the engine, got down and kicked Chandrabose, beat him with his hands and said 'Get in the vehicle'.

I saw all this very clearly from a 30 meter distance. The place was well lit for me to see everything that was happening.

Nisham dragged Chandrabose into the backseat of the vehicle, just when he was exiting the apartment, Nisham's wife was waiting for him in at the outer gate in a car (she had come from their villa inside). She parked her car and gets inside Nisham's vehicle. They then took Chandrabose to the parking lot. I realised that the phone call he made must have been to his wife.”