Couple, aides held for killing NRI businessman, looting gold in exchange of black magic remedy in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: The death of an NRI businessman in Kerala's Kasargod last year has turned out to be a murder for looting 596 sovereigns of gold ornaments by a four member gang, including a couple, under the pretext of black magic.

M C Abdul Gafoor Haji of Poochakkad near Bekal was found dead inside his house on April 14, 2023 at the age of 53. The family initially considered it a cardiac arrest and buried the body.

However, suspicions grew later on as gold ornaments of the family as well as some close relatives collected by Gafoor were found missing. Hence, the family sought a police investigation, which culminated in unraveling the mystery and arrest of T M Uwaiz, 32, his wife Shameena alias 'Jinumma', 34, Asneefa, 36, and Ayisha, 43 on Thursday.

A police team led by District Crime Records Bureau Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) K J Johnson is probing the case. 29 sovereign gold has already been recovered from the accused and efforts are on to trace the rest of it.

The gang approached Gafoor, who was involved in super market business in Gulf countries, by offering prosperity and recovery of his wife from illness by performing rituals at their home. Shameena claimed to be a black magic performer. They made him believe that gold was required for the rituals to exorcise the jinn that was causing misfortunes in his life and also assured that the wealth would double by performing the rituals. The gang decided to murder Gafoor as he insisted on getting his gold back after a few months.

On the pretext of performing the ritual, the gang covered him with a cloth and banged his head towards a wall. Other family members were not in the home at the time of the incident.

DySP Johnson told DH that the gang made many attempts to prove alibi by even staging a birthday party of one of the accused's child. But the mobile phone locations and call records of the accused could disprove those.

He also said that even as the deceased's family stated that 596 sovereign gold was stolen, there is no evidence for the exact quantum of gold handed over to the accused.