High Court upholds Fareedh’s death sentence for Shuhadh’s murder

High Court has ruled to uphold the death sentence meted out to Hassan Fareedh from Karankaage in Fuvahmulah City for the murder of Abdulla Shuhad from Aasmaange in the same city.

Fareedh was convicted of Shuhad’s murder and sentence to death by Criminal Court.

State witnesses testified that Fareedh, along with a group of other individuals, went to the crossroads between Bodufannu Magu and Bahaaru Magu in the Dhoo’digan district of Fuvahmulah City at approximately 9:30 pm on January 27, 2010 and stabbed Shuhadh – who was sitting on the wall of a deserted house along with a group of other individuals – in the chest.

Shuhadh passed away from injuries due to the stabbing on January 28, 2010.

High Court ruled to uphold the death sentence last Wednesday, August 9.

The court cited testimonies of seven eye witnesses and the fact that Fareedh did not contest Shuhadh’s medical legal report or his death certificate.

The court said though some of the witnesses could not state how Fareedh went to the crime scene or from which hand he struck the knife, all witnesses gave detailed account of the crime in their statements to the police, and their claim to have witnessed the crime taking place cannot be overlooked.

Fareedh had argued that one of the witnesses had suffered injuries during the attack and one of the witnesses had been a relative of Shuhadh – which clouded their testimony.

The court said Fareedh was meted out the death sentence not solely based on the testimony of the two witnesses, but based on testimony of seven witnesses as well as other evidence.