One month on, Police make headway in AbduRahman murder case

As the one month mark approaches since the murder of AbduRahman in AA. Maalhos, Police report new progress in the investigation.

AbduRahman was found in his bedroom with severe injuries to his head in the early hours of July 13. He was rushed to the island's health centre, but succumbed to his injuries within hours.

Police have now accused some residents of Maalhos in the case and seized clothes and phones of some individuals.

Police have searched the residences of three individuals, with some items of clothing belonging to one having been seized, Mihaaru News reports. However, no arrests have been made to date.

Police have not so far commented on these new developments in the investigation.

Earlier, Police seized the phone of AbduRahman's wife Nazima Ibrahim, but later returned it.

AbduRahman had been sleeping in his room at the residence he shared with his wife, Maahiya, when he had been attacked. He sustained severe injuries to his head. He was discovered by his wife, and taken to the island's health centre, where he died of his injuries around dawn the same day. The incident was reported to Police at around 1:50am on June 13.

Mihaaru News reporters travelled to Maalhos on the same day, where they interviewed Nazima. She told them that she had found her husband injured when she had entered his bedroom to use the attached bathroom at around 1am.

Some witnesses who went to the house following the incident said that the blood splatters covered a large part of the wall, reaching the ceiling at some points.

On the night of the incident, AbduRahman and his wife had slept in separate bedrooms. Two of their three children reside in Male'. The only one who lives on the island, Nimal, had also been visiting Male' at the time of the incident. Hence, only AbduRahman and his wife had been home on the night.

Police have closed off their residence, Mahiya, since 3am on the night of the attack. Although there is no Police Station on the island, Police are working out of a dedicated space in the island's health centre.

Police have also conducted a search of the 'Hurasmathi Faraaiy', near the beach close to AbduRahman's residence.

Residents of the island strongly insist that the crime could not have been committed by anyone from Maalhos, with a population of about 450. They are of the view that AbduRahman was killed by some people who had come on to the island that night, although no evidence of that has been reported as of yet.

"I am very sure there aren't many people on this island who are from other islands. That house (AbduRahman's residence) is located right at the back of the island. There is a chance that some persons brought a dinghy close to the shore and got on the island near that house. Since there were no threats like that, no one would have looked out for it. I don't think it could have been done through docking at the harbour," Maalhos Council President Ismail Naseer told Mihaaru News last month.

Police also conducted an autopsy on AbduRahman's body in India. Police have said that the autopsy report also concluded that AbduRahman's cause of death was injuries to his head.