Authorities in India have apprehended a man who had been wanted by Abu Dhabi police for allegedly committing a double murder, ending an international search that lasted several months recently.
Man accused of double murder in Abu Dhabi captured in India.
India’s premier investigative body, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has announced the arrest of a long-elusive fugitive linked to a high-profile murder case involving two Indian citizens who were killed in Abu Dhabi in 2020. The agency revealed the development through an official statement shared on X on Thursday, noting that the breakthrough came after years of attempts to locate the suspect, who had repeatedly managed to evade capture.
According to the CBI’s update, the arrested man, identified as Shameem KK, was taken into custody in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. For an extended period, investigators across multiple states had been trying to track his movements, but he continually slipped through the cracks by shifting locations and avoiding areas known to be under surveillance. His arrest marks a significant milestone in a case that has spanned international borders and involved collaboration between various law-enforcement authorities.
Shameem had reportedly gone off the radar in 2022, shortly after the Kerala Police registered the Shafa Sharif murder case, which is considered closely linked to the killings that took place in the UAE two years earlier. Initial inquiries were carried out by local law-enforcement units in Kerala, but as more complex, cross-border elements began to surface, the CBI stepped in to handle specific segments of the probe. Once the central agency took charge, investigators began piecing together a broader picture that connected the crimes in Abu Dhabi with subsequent events in India.
Officials have emphasized that Shameem’s disappearance posed a considerable challenge. Despite numerous leads, his ability to move discreetly and operate under the radar made the pursuit particularly difficult. The CBI explained that their team had to employ a blend of technological surveillance, human intelligence inputs, and coordination with state police forces before they were finally able to narrow down his location. After confirming his presence in Chennai, a team was dispatched to apprehend him without alerting his associates or giving him time to flee once again.
The murders in Abu Dhabi, which involved two Indian nationals, had drawn attention both in the UAE and in India, prompting authorities to treat the case as a matter of serious concern. Following the killings, investigative agencies had struggled to identify all individuals potentially tied to the crime, especially those who returned to India and subsequently attempted to hide their tracks.
With Shameem now in custody, the CBI is expected to intensify its inquiry into the chain of events that led to the murders and the subsequent developments after the crime. Officials have suggested that his interrogation may provide vital insights into the circumstances surrounding the case, the motives of those involved, and any additional individuals who may have played a role but have not yet been identified publicly.
The agency has also indicated that further action will follow once a more detailed picture emerges from the questioning. For now, the arrest represents a major forward step in a case that has remained unresolved for years, offering renewed hope that investigators may finally be able to uncover the full truth behind the killings and bring all responsible parties to justice.
In its update shared on X, the CBI explained that the origins of the case stretch back to March 5, 2020. On that day, authorities in Abu Dhabi discovered the bodies of two Indian nationals inside an apartment in the city. One of the victims was identified as Haris Thathamma Parambil, who worked in the UAE as a business consultant and was well-known within the local Indian community. The second victim was a woman named Dency Antony. Their deaths immediately drew attention due to the unusual circumstances in which they were found.
Investigators in the UAE initially encountered a scene that appeared, at first glance, to point toward suicide. The arrangement of the room and the condition of the bodies seemed to have been staged in a manner that might mislead anyone examining the flat. However, as officials looked deeper into the case, inconsistencies surfaced—details that did not align with the pattern of self-inflicted harm. These clues ultimately raised strong suspicions that the deaths had been deliberately manipulated to disguise a double homicide.
This early discovery set off a long and complex investigation, eventually leading to the involvement of Indian authorities once connections to individuals residing in India began to emerge.
As the investigation progressed, authorities concluded that the crime was not random but allegedly stemmed from personal resentment and competition in business. According to the findings shared by the CBI, suspicion eventually centered on Haris’s close associate, Shaibin Ashraf. Officials claim that Shaibin harbored deep jealousy over Haris’s growing success and feared losing influence and financial advantages tied to their professional relationship. This resentment, investigators say, gradually escalated into a calculated plan to eliminate Haris and gain control over his earnings and accumulated wealth.
The CBI’s account suggests that Shaibin did not act alone. He is accused of recruiting several individuals and sending them to the Gulf region to carry out different parts of the operation. Reports indicate that he financed their travel, living arrangements, and other logistical needs to ensure the plot was executed without raising suspicion. These coordinated efforts, investigators allege, ultimately led to the deaths in Abu Dhabi.
After months of collecting evidence and piecing together the sequence of events, Indian authorities formally submitted a charge sheet on October 10, 2024. The document named Shaibin Ashraf as the primary accused and listed seven additional individuals believed to have assisted him. Among them was Shameem KK, who managed to evade arrest until his capture earlier this week, marking a significant development in the long-running case.
The investigation eventually moved beyond the jurisdiction of the local police in Kerala after questions arose regarding the complexity and cross-border nature of the case. Recognizing that the matter involved international movements, multiple suspects, and evidence scattered across different regions, the High Court of Kerala directed that significant parts of the inquiry be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. This judicial intervention ensured that a national-level agency with wider authority and greater resources could handle the more intricate aspects of the probe. Once the CBI stepped in, the scope of the investigation expanded, and efforts to track down individuals who had vanished became more coordinated.
To prevent the remaining accused from leaving the country and to help trace those already missing, authorities issued a Look Out Circular. This alert was circulated to immigration checkpoints and law-enforcement units across India, instructing officials to report any attempt by the suspects to travel or engage in activities that might reveal their whereabouts. Despite these measures, some individuals managed to remain hidden for a considerable period.
Following the latest arrest, the CBI confirmed that its work is far from over. Officials have stated that additional investigative steps, procedural actions, and follow-up examinations of evidence will continue as the case progresses toward the next legal stages.
