Mohammed Nisham has got on the wrong side of the law several times in the past – once for locking up a policewoman inside his car while she was on a routine check. A description of the beedi tycoon, by those who know him suggests that the 40-year-old has scant respect for the law. And on January 29, his actions led to the death of a security guard named Chandrabose.
On Thursday, Nisham was awarded life term for being found guilty of the murder of Chandrabose who was a security guard at his apartment complex. Nisham was born in 1976 at Adakkaparambil House in Muttichur, a village 21 km away from Thrissur town in Kerala.
He is the son of beedi businessman Adakkaparambil Abdul Khadar.
Khader went to Sri Lanka when he was young and started an eatery there before beginning his beedi business. Later he returned to India and started a beedi unit, King Beedi Company, at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. In 1995, Khader died leaving his business to his three sons. His second son Nisham was just 19 years old then. He is now the managing director of King Beedi Company.
Kings Beedi has offices in Erode and factories in Tirunelveli. Reports also say that Nisham's company is one of the most prominent tobacco suppliers for major companies in India and the West Asia.
Nisham expanded his business from a hotel in Dubai to jewellery businesses in the Middle East and Kerala (King’s Jewellers in Triprayar, Thrissur) and real estate.
It is through real estate that Nisham has acquired the lion’s share of his wealth.
He also owns many buildings in Thrissur and as per reports, he gets more than Rs 4 lakh per month as building rent.
There are 18 imported cars like Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Road Ranger, Ferrari and Jaguar among others in his fleet.
“Nisham was crazy about cars even when he was a child. He never went to college, all he did was drive around. His father was very different, helping everyone in the village… very pleasant,’’ says C K Divyanandan, a native of Muttichur who has known Nisham’s family for several years.
Reports say he has completed his schooling but didn’t go to college.
He lives with his wife and two children in Shobha City apartments, located 26 km from Muttichur, where he has his family house.
Nisham didn’t interact much with others and mostly kept to himself.
“He would not smile at others. He did not like anyone questioning him. He hardly turned up at social gatherings and parties and when he did, he would sit in a corner, drinking,’’ says a resident.
Nisham had a love marriage with Amal. She filed a domestic violence case against him in 2014 and got a court order preventing from entering the apartment. But they arrived at a compromise later.
He is also well connected with political affiliations far and wide, which he uses to bail himself out whenever he is in trouble.
According to a police officer, “He has money and influential people at his beck and call. And then, because he can afford it, he has the best advocates to fight his cases. Even the complainants figure out soon enough that it’s better to be in his good books.”
He has been on the wrong side of the law several times. These are some of the over 12 criminal cases that have been filed against him in Kerala:
Locked up a policewoman inside his Rolls-Royce car while she was on a routine inspection. He was arrested and then released on bail. A charge sheet has been submitted but trial is still awaited.
Allowed his 9-year-old son to drive a Ferrari. He was again arrested and released on bail. He paid a fine under the Motor Vehicles Act but a case registered under the Juvenile Justice Act is still pending.
Nisham's brother Abdul Razak's complained that Nisham allegedly sent vulgar messages to Razak's wife and an FIR was filed. Nisham reached an out-of-court settlement in the case.
Attacked the house of one TR Shamsudeen, for which he was facing attempt to murder charges. The case was dropped as an out-of-court settlement was reached.
Allegedly posted defamatory messages on a woman’s Facebook page in Kannur. The High Court quashed the FIR after an out-of-court settlement was reached in the case.
Attacking the management of an engineering college. The case is pending trial.