Riyadh: Ismail Murder - Two Keralites and a Mangalorean Arrested
Report by P A Hameed Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh (SP)
Riyadh, Jan 1: The law and order authorities of Saudi Arabia are said to have stumbled upon crucial evidence in the case relating to the murder of Jokatte Ismail Idinabba, in the form of a mobile phone that they reportedly recovered from a road near Athika area of Riyadh. They later arrested two Keralites and a Mangalorean in connection with the said case.
Ismail Jokatte
Incidentally, the mobile phone belonged to the deceased Ismail. Mustafa Kunhi (40) from Kanyapuram in Tiruvanantapuram and Abdul Rasheed from Manjeri in Malappuram in Kerala state, are behind the bars now. A Mangalorean named Rasheed, who hails from the same place to which the deceased belonged and who was a good friend of the deceased, has also been picked up by the policemen. All the three have been lodged in Deerah jail in Riyadh.
It may be recalled, that Ismail (38), son of late Idinabba and Beebi couple from Jokatte in Mangalore, was found brutally murdered in his room in Riyadh city centre on November 9 2008 at around 7 pm. As this is a case of unnatural death, the mortal remains of the deceased have been preserved in the mortuary of Riyadh Central Shimeshi Hospital. Daiiworld has learnt that possibly, the body might be released to the relatives of the deceased within a couple of days.
Reportedly, wives of the two arrested Keralites have submitted appeals to the Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan, union minister of state for external affairs E Ahamed, minister for overseas affairs Vayalar Ravi, state minister Vijay Kumar, MP Varkala Radhakrishnan and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, requesting them to provide legal and other aid to the arrested persons. Sheeba, wife of Mustafa Kunhi and Naseera, wife of Abdul Rasheed have submitted these petitions. It is learnt, that both Mustafa and Abdul have been working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since around 20 years.
Mustafa, it is said, found the mobile phone lying on the road, while returning from work and that he handed it over to his co-worker Abdul Rasheed. Rasheed made use of the phone by inserting a new SIM card. The police who were searching for the missing phone, caught hold of the two.
It was reported earlier, that a few persons from Uttar Pradesh, who are engaged in embroidery and dressmaking jobs in Riyadh, were picked up by the police for interrogation but released after obtaining their written undertaking. It is not yet known as to whether the authorities have any concrete evidence against the three persons arrested by them. The release of the cadaver might get delayed if the policemen want to retain it for their legal procedures.
However, the relatives of the murdered man and also Jokatte Rasheed have been requesting the concerned, besides the Indian Embassy in Riyadh for facilitating speedy funeral of the deceased. According to the Shari’ah Law in the Kingdom, the punishment for murder is the death sentence unless the family of victim pardons the murderers.
Relatives of both the deceased and those in the jail are waiting for positive action from the Indian Embassy towards addressing their woes.