Hyderabad: A Nampally court on Thursday, November 12, sentenced four men to life imprisonment in connection with a 2018 murder case at Kalapathar Police Station.

The convicts, all rowdy-sheeters of different police stations, are Mohammed Ataullah, 29; Sohail Ataullah, 28; Syed Parvez Pasha, 28; and Mirza Saif Taimoori, 27.

The case stemmed from a complaint by Mohd Bilal on December 12, 2018, that his brother, Mohd Shareef, a water tanker driver, was attacked with knives by a group of persons at the premises of Mir Alam Water Filter, within the limits of Kalapathar Police Station.

The accused allegedly threw chilli powder into the eyes of the deceased and subsequently attacked him with knives, inflicting multiple grievous injuries. Shareef was shifted to Osmania General Hospital, where the attending doctors declared him dead on arrival.

A case was registered under Section 302 (murder) read with Section 34 (common intention) of the then Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Old enmity motive for assault

An earlier death case of one Moiz in a boating incident dating back to 2011 turned out to be the motive behind the crime. Moiz and Shareef had reportedly gone boating where the former died due to drowning.

Moiz’s brothers, Md Ataullah and Soaib Ataullah, suspected Shareef of being responsible for the death and planned to take revenge. With the assistance of their associates, they conspired and executed the fatal attack.