Four months later, the trial of Kerala-businessman Nisham has yet not begun

Four months after the alleged murder of security guard Chandrabose by Kerala-businessman Nisham, the trial in the court is yet to begin. The case was scheduled to begin on May 26, but with the judge of the Thrissur District Sessions court being promoted to the High Court, the case has been postponed for a second time. Sources in court administration say that the procedure to appoint the new judge has not started yet. The police team investigating the crime had submitted the chargesheet at the Kunnamkulam Magistrate Court on April 4. When the prosecution initiated the trial in the first week of April, the court had dismissed proceedings due to the summer vacation. The vacation ended on May 20. Usually, preliminary procedures would take at least a month's time to be completed after a new judge is in place. Keeping that in mind, the trial might start only by mid-June. “The first trial date was tomorrow. Later we were informed that the trial was postponed, the prosecution is yet to file an application to get the case considered by a Fast Track Court,” said Peramangalam Circle Inspector Bijukumar, who was in charge of the Chandrabose murder case enquiry. On January 29, Mohammad Nisham, a businessman in Kerala was arrested after he rammed his Hummer into Chandrabose, a security guard in the  Shobha City apartments in Thrissur. He allegedly attacked him out of rage because the guard took too much time to open the gates to the apartment complex. Chandrabose succumbed to his injuries in the hospital and Nisham was charged under the Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) law since there were 13 registered cases filed against him already for anti-social activities. Several officers who were in-charge of the investigation have been suspended on grounds of favouritism. The charge sheet was submitted within 65 days of his arrest after speculation that the police was trying to save the businessman. The chargesheet, running into 500 pages with statements of 108 people, including 11 eye witnesses also contains 32 pieces of scientific evidence aside from 122 documents. It was submitted to the Kunnamkulam Magistrate court in Thrissur. The case was later transferred to Thrissur District sessions court after the submission of charge sheet. According to the investigative officers the line of defence from Nisham says that he was mentally unstable when the incident took place. “His advocate also says that due to regular intake of drugs Nisham had some mental problems. So he might manage to prove in court that he is mentally unstable,” said an officer who was in the investigative team. “They are also trying to prove that Chandrabose used to harass and irritate Nisham regularly and Nisham reacted while high, and that it was not a premeditated murder,” he added.