Nilambur, Malappuram: The probe into the 2020 murder of traditional medical practitioner Shaba Sharif is on even as the police completed its checks at the house of main accused Shaibin Ashraf here.
The interrogation of the arrested revealed Sulthan Bathery-native Naduthottika Noushad, one of the accused, had reportedly bought the knife used to chop the healer's body at Shaibin's house located at Mukkatta in Nilambur.
Noushad is set to be taken to the shop from where he bought the knife and the lodge where he stayed as part of evidence collection by the cops.
As per the case, following the expose by Shaibin's accomplices, Shaba Sharif, 60, was abducted from Mysuru in August 2019, kept as hostage at the house in Mukkanda and died during torture in October 2020. Later his body was chopped and the pieces thrown into the Chaliyar River in Nilambur.
Shaibin intended to seize seize from the healer the medicine for piles the latter was reportedly in possession.
The place from where a log of wood was purchased to butcher the body has also been found. The police took accused Noushad, who is in custody, to the spot and gathered evidence. As per the statements of Noushad, he bought the woodblock on the directives of main accused Shaibin.
Though Nousahd initially went to a sawmill at Mukkatta, he did not get the log of the tamarind tree. Then he was introduced to timber dealer Ummar, who showed him the logs at a private land at Mukkatta. He purchased the thickest log of a 1.5ft height and claimed it was for cutting fish.
The statements of Ummar and the landowner have been recorded. Ummar also showed the tree stump to the police. After evidence collection, Noushad would be sent back to prison.
The first accused Shaibin and other accused Ponnakaran Shihabudeen and Nishad are in judicial custody now.
Blood stains, hair found
The police have unearthed crucial evidence from Shaibin's house. Samples of blood stains and hair have been found in the property and car.
During the forensic examination held during the weekend the car in which Shaba's dismembered body was taken was also thoroughly scoured. The body was taken in the car from the house towards a bridge before it was thrown into the river.
The hair samples received from the car will act as crucial evidence in the case.
The forensic team also examined the tiles, cement particles and the soil which were removed from the washroom where Sharif was lodged. Blood stains were detected from a pipe that extended to the outside from the washroom.
These samples will be tested at the lab in Thrissur. The forensic team hopes to get a major breakthrough in these tests which may help the police crack the case successfully.
During the lab testing, it will be confirmed whether these samples are that of Shaba or not. The samples will be produced in the court before handing over to the lab.
The lab is expected to give the results within a few days.
Malappuram District Police Superintendent S Sujith Das visited the house where the crime took place and reviewed the progress of the investigation.
The police raid at the house of the accused Shaibin where the healer was held hostage for many days ended on Saturday.
