Decade-old murder case ends with triple life sentences for the three killers

By Sagaya Fernando | April 25, 2025

 

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Mangaluru, Karnataka, India: In a landmark ruling that closes one of Karnataka’s most chilling criminal cases, a Mangaluru sessions court on April 19, 2025, sentenced three men to triple life imprisonment for the 2014 murders of two Kerala natives over a ₹73 lakh gold smuggling dispute.

The convicted -- Mohammed Mahajeer Sanaf (36) of Cherkala, and Mohammed Irshad (35) and A Mohammed Safwan (34), both from Anangoor in Kasaragod district of Kerala -- were found guilty of conspiracy (Section 120B IPC), double murder (Section 302 IPC), and destruction of evidence (Section 201 IPC). The court imposed three concurrent life sentences on each, alongside a ₹65,000 fine per convict and an additional 17 months of imprisonment in case of default.

Murders Rooted in Smuggled Gold Deal Gone Awry

The victims, Nafir Ahamed (24) from Thalassery and Faheem (25) from Kozhikode, were murdered on July 1, 2014, after a dispute with the accused over the proceeds from the illegal sale of 2.5kg of smuggled gold. Nafir, who had clandestinely brought 3kg of gold from Dubai to Mangaluru in June 2014, planned to sell it independently rather than deliver it to its intended handlers.

He enlisted Faheem to assist in finding buyers. The two were connected to Sanaf, a law college dropout and son of a local lawyer, who in turn brought in Irshad and Safwan. The gold was sold for ₹73 lakh (approximately $87,500 USD at the time), but tensions escalated when Sanaf delayed payment.

According to Prosecutor Judith O M Crasta, Sanaf, under pressure from both Nafir and the original smugglers, devised a plan to eliminate both victims. The three accused lured Nafir and Faheem to a rented apartment in Mangaluru’s Attavar locality, where they were stabbed to death. Their bodies were stuffed into plastic bags and secretly buried on a private property in Kasaragod owned by Safwan.

Breakthrough Triggered by Local Suspicion

The crime went undetected for nearly a week. Suspicion arose when residents of the apartment complex noticed bloodstains and unusual noise from the flat. They alerted the police, already on high alert due to nearby Naxalite threats.

On July 6, 2014, a City Crime Branch (CCB) team led by Inspector Valentine D’Souza intercepted a Renault Duster near the Mahakalipadpu railway crossing. The vehicle was occupied by the suspects, leading to their immediate arrest and the recovery of key evidence.

During trial, the court heard extensive forensic and circumstantial evidence, including the location of the buried bodies and bloodstains in the rented apartment. Despite being released on bail during the prolonged judicial process, the trio were finally convicted this month.

The sentencing is viewed as a major milestone in a case that symbolized how organized smuggling networks can spiral into brutal violence. Legal experts hailed the ruling as a victory for judicial perseverance and investigative diligence over a decade-long pursuit of justice.