On April 29, 2022, three people threatened self immolation outside the Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. They were heard shouting, “We have been working for Shaibin Ashraf from Mukkatta of Nilambur for 13 years; now when we asked for money for our work, he is trying to kill us using goons! He made us kill somebody from Dubai!”
While they were stopped by the police, the three persons – Zakeer, Noushad and Salim, who were all natives of Suthan Bathery in Wayanad district – had some alarming allegations against the man they were naming at the Secretariat, Shaibin Ashraf, which caught the police’s attention.
The Thiruvananthapuram police soon found that the three men had been accused of burglary on April 25 by their boss, Shaibin, a rich businessman based out of Nilambur. Shaibin had alleged that his home in Mukkatta, Nilambur in Malappuram district was burgled on April 24, and Rs 3 lakh and a laptop were stolen. However, the burglary turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg. A murder, which was earlier not even known to the police, was soon revealed.
The three men who attempted suicide outside the Kerala Secretariat
The victim was a traditional “healer” named Shaba Sharif, a man who went missing from Mysusu in August 2019 and his family has been looking for him ever since. According to the three men, Shaibin allegedly kept Shaba in captivity for a over a year, tortured him, and ultimately killed him in October 2020.
The men had proof with them they said, and threw a pen drive towards the police during their suicide attempt at the Secretariat. This pen drive contained a video of a man moving his arms in a room with dark walls, one of his legs chained to the bottom of the wall behind him.
Screenshot of Shaba moving his arms in a room with dark walls
The man in the video was Shaba, who was allegedly kept captive on the second floor of a house belonging to Shaibin in Nilambur.
“According to statements by the accused, a special sound proof room was set up by Shaibin in his house to keep Shaba in captivity. A room had a toilet facility and air conditioning. Shaba was chained, tortured brutally, and ultimately murdered,” the police officer added.
The house in which Shaba was allegedly held captive
“Shaibin wanted the ingredients of an ottamooli (natural medicine) – a cure for hemorrhoids – known to Shaba. Usually, traditional healers don’t share their recipes. Shaibin wanted to make the medicine and market it, so, his men kidnapped the healer from Mysuru, and brought him to Nilambur,” a police officer from Nilambur said.
The official said that Shaba allegedly died when he was being assaulted and was hit on the chest. “They planned [to dispose of his body], bought necessary things from Nilambur town, cut the body into small pieces, packed them, and disposed of them from Edavanna bridge (on Chaliyar river),” he said.
Shaba’s wife Jabeena Taj and their nine children thought Shaba would return until this month. The family says that Shaba was taken by the kidnappers who convinced him that an elderly person needed urgent treatment. When he did not return, a missing person’s complaint was filed in Mysuru in August 2019.
Shaba Sharif
Superintendent of Police in Malappuram, S Sujith Das, said that Shaba’s family recognised him from the video which was in the pen drive. Das added that though this is a “rarest of rare” kind of case, they have already gotten a lot of evidence. “Four people have already been arrested, and there are more to be nabbed,” he said.
But the unravelling did not end there.
The three men, who were arrested from Thiruvananthapuram, have also alleged Shaibin’s involvement in other murders. As per reports, Shaibin’s former business partner, Harris, who was a native of Kunnamangalam, and an individual named Deepesh from Mysuru are also suspected to be Shaibin’s victims.
Harris and his woman colleague were found dead in Abu Dhabi in March 2020 in his apartment. His mother Sairabi alleged that her son would receive threats from Shaibin when he was alive. It started after “Harris’s wife had a relationship with Shaibin,” Sairabi said, “following which they had issues. Harris had told me many times that he was being threatened by Shaibin.”
The police have also found that for the last one year, Shaibin’s house in Mukkatta has undergone frequent renovations, and suspect it may have been to hide evidence of Shaba’s capture and murder. “As per statements of the accused, the body was cut into pieces inside the bathroom. But they have removed the tiles and renovated the floor. The same way, many other renovations have been carried out,” an officer said.
Shaibin reportedly shifted to Nilambur a few years ago. He is a native of Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad district, where he has been building a castle-like house worth crores of rupees.
Similarly, Deepesh’s family also suspect Shaibin’s role in Deepesh’s death in 2020. In 2015, there was a case against Shaibin for kidnapping and assaulting Deepesh. The victim’s family told the media that Deepesh was drowned to death, which they believe could not have happened as he was a good swimmer.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm)
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.