Mohammed Nisham had allegedly ploughed his Hummer today into a security guard. (File photo)
A multi-millionaire from Kerala has been convicted of killing a security guard by driving his Hummer into him in a fit of rage about a year ago.
Mohammed Nisham, "the beedi king" of Kerala, rammed his SUV into 51-year-old Chandrabose, pinned him to a wall, dragged him for 700 metres, stomped on him and then shouted "this dog will not die", a judge was told today.
Mr Nisham, 39, has pleaded "bipolar disorder" for a lenient sentence. The court will announce his punishment tomorrow.
Special prosecutor CP Udayabhanu argued that the businessman deserves the death sentence as he is a "menace to the society."
Mr Nisham was arrested in January last year for running over the guard at the gated neighbourhood where he lives in Thrissur.
The police said that Mr Nisham was drunk and furious because Chandrabose fumbled for a few seconds while opening the gate.
Chandrabose died in hospital nearly three weeks after the savage assault.
The prosecution has asked for Rs 5 crore for his family, which includes his mother, wife and two children. Mr Nisham's empire is worth Rs 5,000 crore, the judge was told.
Beedis or rolled cigarettes form a key constituent of Mr Nisham's vast business empire, which also includes real estate and big hotels in the Middle East.
Mr Nisham's stay in jail was controversial. On one journey back from court, he was filmed on security cameras treating his police escorts to a lavish meal. The VIP treatment created a new wave of local anger against him. Five policemen were suspended.
A repeat offender, Mr Nisham has been an accused in 13 cases, many of which were settled out of court.
Three years ago, a video of his nine-year-old son driving a Ferrari was uploaded on YouTube, resulting in a police case and outrage over the audacity of the entrepreneur.
"I am extremely happy. We got justice after one year," said Jamanti, the wife of Chandrabose.