The Manjeri first additional sessions court on Thursday found three men guilty of the abduction and murder of Mysuru-based traditional healer Shaba Sherif. Nine other accused were acquitted.

The three held guilty are the first accused Shaibin Ashraf (42) of Kaipenchery in Nilambur, the second accused Ponnakkaran Shihabudheen (36) of Sultan Bathery, and the sixth accused Naduthodika Nishad (41) of Nilambur. The court will pronounce the sentencing on March 22.

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The case is one of the rare instances in Kerala where a murder conviction was secured without the recovery of the victim’s body. The court pronounced the three accused persons guilty of culpable homicide.

Shaba Sherif was killed in October 2020 after being held captive for over a year. The group dismembered his body and dumped the remains in the Chaliyar River near Edavanna. The prosecution was able to secure a conviction despite not being able to recover the victim’s body. A video showing Shaba standing with his legs shackled in a room inside Shaibin’s house, released by Thangalakath Noushad (41) of Sultan Bathery, became a key piece of evidence. Noushad later turned approver. Additionally, a strand of Shaba’s hair recovered from Shaibin’s car was confirmed through DNA testing.

The victim, Shaba Sherif, 60, operated a clinic in Mysuru, where he was known for his traditional treatment of haemorrhoids. Shaibin, an industrialist, initially approached him under the pretext of seeking treatment for a patient. However, his true intent was to obtain the secret formula of Shaba’s medicine and launch a business. Convincing Shaba to travel to Kerala, he imprisoned him in a room at his house in Nilambur when the healer refused to divulge his secret.

Over time, Shaba suffered severe physical assaults. In October 2020, Shaibin, in a fit of rage, kicked him in the chest, leading to his death. To cover up the crime, he, along with Shihabudheen, Noushad, and Nishad, dismembered the body and disposed of the parts in the Chaliyar River.