Asif sentenced to 10 years in jail for stabbing and throwing Hammadh to ocean

Criminal Court, on Wednesday, has sentenced Ismail Asif, Beach House, R. Madduvari, for stabbing another native from the island, Ismail Hammadh, Fehiali, with a knife, and throwing him overboard from a fishing vessel in late 2019.

Asif stabbed Hammadh following a dispute while on board a fishing vessel by the name ‘Jaree’ off the coast of AA. Maalhos. He was charged with using a sharp-edged weapon to cause grievous injury in connection to the case.

During their investigation into the stabbing, the police found that the dispute between Asif and Hammadh originated from a difference of opinion regarding a religious matter. The dispute escalated into violence, and Asif attacked Hammadh with a knife. He sustained multiple stab wounds in the attack.

There were three people on board the boat at the time; Asif, Hammadh and a third unnamed man.

The police allege that after Hammadh was stabbed and thrown overboard, he swam ashore to Maalhos, Asif and the third man on the boat went to Maalhos and attempted to capture him.

Although Asif denied the charge against him, the prosecution had submitted an abundance of evidence to prove him guilty. They include police officers involved in the investigation and secret witnesses.

During the course of the investigation, Asif had admitted to stabbing Hammadh. Criminal Court’s Chief Judge Ahmed Shakeel who was presiding over the case concluded that testimonies of the prosecution’s witnesses had proved the same.

Although Asif admitted to violence during a dispute with Hammadh, he claims to have acted in self-defense. He also claims that Hammadh jumped overboard from the vessel, on his own will. Asif described that the injuries Hammadh sustained were during his efforts to swim ashore to Maalhos, from the ocean. Criminal Court’s judgment stressed that the defense failed to provide adequate evidence to back these claims.

In light of this, the court found him guilty of causing grievous injury to the person using a sharp-edged weapon – sentencing him to 10 years in prison. Asif had remained in custody to date, since he was arrested in connection to the case initially. Therewith, he will now only have to serve seven years and three months of the sentence.

The victim in the case, Hammad himself has been charged in connection to another crime – a case involving subjecting an underage girl to an illegal marriage and sexually abusing her.