Gagged, bound, killed: Dubai NRI businessman's gruesome murder on Kerala vacation

Published Tuesday, August 06, 2013

By VM Sathish

A Dubai-based Indian businessman was beaten to death in an early morning assault on Monday, in his home town of Trikkarippur in the Kasargodu district of the south Indian state of Kerala. The man was on vacation with his family at the time.

A B Abdul Salam Haji (58), an Indian expatriate businessman and an active member of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre, (KMCC), the overseas wing of Indian Union Muslim League, was allegedly attacked by a gang of robbers.

According to sources, he was beaten to death in front of his wife and children.

Haji is also President of KMCC Trikkarippur (Kasargodu district) Committee.

Abdul Salam Haji has been running a restaurant in Dubai and his other business interests include a chain of novelty stores and groceries. He has lived in the emirate for more than 35 years now.

Sources told Emirates 24|7 that the robbers attacked Haji’s two-floored villa and fled with taken gold ornaments that belong to his wife Subaida and daughter Safa.

His son was locked-up in a separate room during the attack.

Haji was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.

Haji has another son Shuhaib, a Chartered Accountant and a brother Abdul Khader, both living in Dubai.

Attackers took advantage of Ramadan charity

Sources told this website that the attackers took advantage of the fact that it was Ramadan and that Haji was known for his charity.

Haji had just returned from the mosque, when his doorbell rang.

Thinking it was someone in need of food, he opened the door.

The gang had already smashed the CCTVs that were keeping watch on the villa.

Once inside, the gang tied Haji to chair.

They locked the other family members in separate rooms and attacked Haji.

According to reports in the Kerala media, his head was smashed and he was suffocated to death using masking tape.

The total value of goods stolen and number of robbers involved in the attack are yet to be ascertained.

Dubai Keralite community in shock

The Keralite expatriate community in Dubai is in shock after the attack.

“He started small from Deira and grew into a major business house. He is known for his charity work. It is sad that he was murdered in such a heinous way,” said KM Abbas, an Indian expatriate from Kasargodu, based in Dubai.

Ibrahim Mulchandi, General Secretary of KMCC Dubai, said the organisation and its members are in shock at the news of the murder.

“We are saddened by this growing criminal tendency in our society,” he said on Monday.

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