'This Dog Won't Die': Kerala Beedi Tycoon Guilty Of Killing Guard With Hummer

Thrissur: 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.