Kasaragod: Three prominent UDF leaders from Kasaragod have found themselves in an embarrassing spot after photographs and video emerged showing them hobnobbing with Ahmed Raees, an absconding accused in the Aboobacker Siddique murder case, in Dubai's Gold Souk.

The photographs show Trikaripur's Congress MLA Sandeep Varier, Manjeshwar's Muslim League MLA A K M Ashraf and IUML Kasaragod district president and former MLA N A Nellikkunnu in the company of Raees, the 13th accused in the 2022 Aboobacker Siddique murder case, being investigated by the State Crime Branch.

Raees, a native of Ambikana in Paivalike grama panchayat, has been absconding after he allegedly fled abroad before the investigating team could arrest him.

Four years on, he was seen mingling with the MLAs and leaders of the ruling front in Kerala.

Nellikkunnu, who represented Kasaragod for 15 years, Ashraf and Varier were photographed inside Himmath Gold & Diamonds, a jewellery shop at Dubai Gold Souk in Deira. An Indian company, Himmath Gold Private Limited, has its address registered at Ambikana in Paivalike, Raees's native place.

Casual walk vs invited
Nellikkunnu told Onmanorama that they were in Dubai at the invitation of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), an expatriate charitable and volunteer organisation associated with the IUML. The event was held on November 1, Kerala Piravi Day.

He said that after the programme, or on its eve, the three decided to visit Dubai Gold Souk in Deira. "The area has long been a hub for Kasaragod expatriates who work and run businesses there. We wanted to meet people from their home district," he said.

"As expected, we found several people from Kasaragod there," Nellikkunnu said. Raees was one such Kasaragod resident. He claimed that the leaders did not know Raees personally. "We did not know him. We cannot ask strangers whether they have pending cases against them back home," he said.

Nellikkunnu said they were not at Himmath at any invitation. "When we were walking around, we saw people around (Himmath). We were told it was its inauguration and we stepped inside," he said.

But there are reports quoting MLA Varier as saying that the leaders visited the jewellery showroom after being invited by a resident from A K M Ashraf's Manjeshwar constituency. Varier did not respond to Onmanorama's phone call.

Hawala and murder
KASAboobacker Siddique, a resident of Mugu Road in Puthige panchayat, was hung upside down and beaten to death in June 2022.

The case was initially investigated by Manjeshwar police. According to the then police chief Vaibhav Saxena, four businessmen gave Siddique dirhams worth ₹50 lakh to be transported to Dubai. But Siddique delivered an empty bag. Abdul Azeez, one of the businessmen from Manjeshwar, hired goons to get the money back. The goons, believed to be from Paivalike, kidnapped Siddique's brother Anwar and relative Ansar on June 24, 2022. They were stripped, hung upside down, and thrashed on their buttocks to force Siddique to return from Dubai.

When Siddique arrived on June 26, a Sunday, the goons kidnapped him and took him to the same torture house in Paivalike. He collapsed during the torture. Two gang members rushed him to a hospital in Bandiyod in Uppala in a car. But the doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The case had 17 accused when the State Crime Branch took over the investigation. Raees was named as the 13th accused. Investigators allegedly linked him to the Paivalike gang led by a man they described as an "international criminal-turned-businessman".