Lawyer Mahfooz’s attempted murder: Four suspects charged acquitted

Criminal Court has acquitted the four suspects charged in connection with the attempted murder of lawyer Mahfooz Saeed.

Mahfooz was stabbed in the head on September 4, 2015.

Four suspects were charged in connection with the attack; Shafraaz Ibrahim, Karankaage, R. Inguraidhoo, Khalid Nafeeu, H. Senaa, K. Male’, Ahmed Raidh, Hulhumale’ Flat No: 11270, Firaz Jaufar Dhafthar No: 6201.

Out of the four suspects – Shazfraaz and Raaidh were charged with intentional attempted murder. Meanwhile, the remaining two suspects were charged with participated in an intentional attempted murder – after both were accused of spying on Mahfooz.

Although the prosecution submitted six witnesses for the case – only Mahfooz had given testimony at the Criminal Court. Circumstances resulted in the inability to obtain testimonies from the remaining witnesses.

Videos were submitted as evidence as well. In the judgment however, Judge Ali Adam, who presided over the case, said that the videos did not show Mahfooz being attacked. It was also noted that no analysis of the videos had been done.

The court also rejected some of the evidence submitted by the prosecution – citing they were obtained without court orders.

Lawyer Mahfooz was treated at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and a hospital in Sri Lanka for the serious head wound he sustained in the attack last September.

The knife he was stabbed with, which went two inches deep in the side of his skull, was removed after a three-hour operation.