Malappuram man sentenced to death for murdering wife inside slaughterhouse

Malappuram: A District court here on Friday sentenced a man to death for the brutal murder of his wife inside his slaughterhouse in 2017.

The court presided over by Judge A V Teless, found Najubudheen alias Babu (44) guilty of murdering his wife Reheena by slitting her throat in cold blood. The accused was convicted under Sections 302 and 404 of the Indian Penal Code.

The court sentenced Najubudheen to death under Section 302 of the IPC and imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh. Additionally, he was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 404 of the IPC and fined twenty-five thousand rupees. In the event of failure to pay the fine, he must undergo an additional one year of rigorous imprisonment. The court directed that if the fines are paid, the amount should be handed over to Reheena’s mother, Subaida. It also instructed the District Legal Services Authority to further assist Subaida and Reheena’s son under the Victim Compensation Scheme.

Najubudheen has been transferred to Tavanur Central Prison to serve his sentence.

Najubudheen had married Reheena in 2003, and the couple lived together in Parappanangadi. In 2011, he entered into a second marriage and began residing with his second wife at his residence in Chudalaparambu. Although he maintained relationships with both women, frequent disputes arose between him and Reheena, primarily due to mutual suspicion and the deterioration of their marital bond.

Unable to bear the strained relationship any longer, Reheena decided to leave Najubudheen and live with her mother and her children. Holding a grudge over her decision, Najubudheen meticulously planned her murder.

In the early hours of July 23, 2017, he deceived Reheena by telling her that he could not reach his workers by phone and requested her assistance with work. He went to the rented quarters and took Reheena to his slaughterhouse at Anchappura Beach Road on his motorcycle. At around 2:15 am, he took the hidden knife in his right hand, grabbed Reheena’s hair from behind with his left hand, pulled her backwards and slit her throat from the front, killing her on the spot. Following the murder, he removed her gold chain weighing approximately 36.43 grams and kept it for his use.

Reheena, originally from Narikkuni in Kuttemperoor, had been brought back to Parappanangadi by Najubudheen after a period of separation. Although the couple had previously faced legal proceedings in the Family Court in Thamarassery and the Magistrate Court, they had later reconciled. However, Najubudheen had already married another woman and moved her into his house in Parappanangadi, while Reheena was housed in nearby rented quarters.

On the day of the murder, Reheena’s mother, Subaida and sister, Rizana, had arrived intending to take her home, unaware of the horrific crime that had taken place.

After committing the murder, Najubudheen absconded and wandered across Thrissur, Palakkad, and Coimbatore. He was finally arrested on July 25, three days after the crime, in the early hours near Parappanangadi Railway Station when he returned home after exhausting all his money.

The investigation was led by then Circle Inspector of Tanur C Alavi, and assisted by Assistant Sub Inspector Varijakshan and Senior Civil Police Officer Naveen. Additional Public Prosecutor Adv K P Shaju represented the prosecution. 

In the absence of direct eyewitnesses, the case relied heavily on circumstantial and scientific evidence. The prosecution examined a total of forty-one witnesses, submitted sixty-six documents and presented thirty-three material objects before the court. ASI Shajimol and Civil Police Officer Abdul Shukoor from the Prosecution Liaison Wing also assisted in the trial.