Kerala Police solve murder mystery of Mysore traditional healer missing since 2019

A traditional piles healing practitioner in Mysore, who was reported missing since August 2019, was reported to be killed by a gang at Malappuram district in Kerala in 2020 October after abducting him with the intention of knowing the healing technique.

The Kerala police unravelled the mystery following a probe into a theft case filed by a Malappuram-based businessman against some of his aides. The businessman was found to be the key accused in the abduction and murder of the Mysore-based healer.

According to the police, Shaba Sharif, a native of Vijayanagar in Mysore, was reported missing by his family in August 2019.

Shibin Ashraf, 42, a businessman from Nilambur in Malappuram, lodged a police complaint in April accusing some youth of stealing Rs 7 lakh cash and valuables from his house.

After the police registered a case against some persons identified by Ashraf and nabbed one of the accused, others arraigned in the case threatened to end life in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram by dousing themselves in petrol alleging that a false case was registered against them.

In subsequent investigation, they revealed to the police that they were former aides of the businessman and were involved in the abduction and murder of the Mysore-based healer. A pen drive containing the visuals of the torture was also recovered by the police.

Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das said that an enquiry at Mysore confirmed that the person found in the videos in the pen drive was Shaba Sharif himself. A man-missing case was registered in Mysore on August 2, 2019.

On investigation, it was found that a gang led by Ashraf abducted the healer in August 2019 after seeking his help to treat a patient. He was held hostage at Ashraf's house at Nilambur in Malappuram for more than a year and was tortured as the healer refused to divulge the healing technique. As he died, the gang cut his body into pieces and abandoned in the Chaliyar river.

The district police chief said that even though the body parts could not be recovered yet, there was circumstantial and scientific evidences for the crime, including the pen drive. The accused had also confessed.

Ashraf and his aides Shihabuddin, 36, and Naushad, 41, of Wayanad and driver Nishad were already arrested and some more persons were wanted in the case.

The police suspect that Ashraf was planning to set up his own clinic after learning the healing technique.

As per a video footage believed to be that of the traditional practitioner kept hostage, he was found to be chained in a room.