Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala businessman accused of murdering his building's security guard by crushing him with his Hummer has pleaded in court that it was a case of accident and not premeditated murder.
Security guard Chandrabose had been crushed by beedi tycoon Mohammed Nisham's Hummer in Thrissur on January 29. The police said the businessman was drunk and deliberately ran over the man in a fit of rage after he had failed to open the building's gate promptly.
The defence lawyer said it was an accident and the guard had died of blood loss and internal bleeding.
He contended that his client should not be charged with murder and suggested that he be booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The trial will begin at a local court in Thrissur next week.
The case had evoked widespread outrage and it remained under media glare as it was alleged that Mr Nisham had links with politicians and senior police officers and he has been booked so far in 13 cases.
Thrissur's then police commissioner Jacob Job was suspended and allegedly violating procedures and secretly meeting Mohd Nisham.