The Kerala Government on Thursday suspended Jacob Job, former City Police Commissioner, Thrissur, from service for lapses in the probe into the murder of a security guard by controversial businessman Muhammad Nisham, nicknamed Hummer Dad. The businessman had killed the security guard by ramming his Hummer SUV into him.
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala ordered Job’s suspension on the basis of a report from Inspector General (Thrissur Range) TJ Jose that he had violated rules by questioning Nisham in a closed room in the absence of any other officers. At the time of the suspension, Job was Superintendent of Police, Pathanamthitta.
The probe into the murder of Chandrabose, a security guard of the posh Sobha City villa complex at Puzhakkal near Thrissur, had begun when Job was police commissioner there. He had questioned Nisham in isolation on February 9. The inquiry against Job was initiated over the allegation that he had questioned Nisham in isolation in order to demand money from him.
The IGP, who submitted his report to Additional DGP N Shanker Reddy the other day, found that the commissioner’s conduct was against rules and suspicious. The report reached Chennithala on Thursday morning and within minutes he took the decision to suspend Job. A preliminary Vigilance probe is already on against Job over the same charge.
Job was transferred to Pathanamthitta reportedly following suspicions on his conduct and his place was taken over by R Nishantini, former DCP, Kochi. The former Thrissur commissioner had earlier alleged that three police officials had demanded bribe from Nisham to incorporate loopholes in the FIR in the murder case.
Nisham, owner of Thirunalveli-based Kings Beedi Company and a tobacco supplier, had attacked Chandrabose (48) at the gates of Sobha City on the early morning of January 29 by first beating him up and then ramming his Hummer SUV into him more than once. He then took the guard to a parking lot inside the villa complex and continued attacking him.
Chandrabose succumbed to the injuries on February 16. The police had earlier this week questioned Nisham’s wife Amal who was with him when he attacked the guard in the parking lot but they are yet to decide whether she should be named as an accused or witness. Amal had told the police that she was unable to stop her husband from attacking the guard.
Nisham, who has faced a minimum of 12 cases, earned for himself the nickname Hummer Dad after he was booked for allowing his nine-year-old son to drive a Ferrari in 2013. The businessman had also faced a case for locking up a woman police official in his Rolls Royce and another for issuing a murder to threat to another businessman.
The police have reportedly found that the actual owner of the Hummer SUV used in the attack against Chandrabose was not Nisham but the ownership was in the name of a native of Bangalore. As per reports, Nisham had been using cars worth several crores of rupees and had committed large-scale tax evasion.
Meanwhile, officials of the Commercial Taxes Department on Thursday carried out a raid on the offices of Nisham in Thrissur.