Irufan Rushdhee was charged for the murder of 14-year-old Fathir Mohamed that resulted from a series of attacks 10 years ago, with the Criminal Court ruling that the crime has not been proven against him.

Irufan Rushdhee, M. Kuriruhge, was charged with intentionally aiding a murder with a sharp weapon in the Fathir murder case.

After the trial took place, the Criminal Court ruled yesterday that the charges against him were not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, as stated in the law.

The trial report was not released by the court as the case involves the interests of a child. And so, details regarding how the court came to this conclusion are not released.

Irufan was arrested with three others aboard a speedboat 12 miles off the shore of Kaadehdhoo, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. The group reportedly departed from Thinadhoo, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll and were fishing when their speedboat, 'Blue Whale', ran out of petrol. Maldives Police Service became aware of Irufan's presence on the vessel when they received a list of passengers. This was in 2019, three years after Fathir's murder.

Irufan was found less than 24 hours after the Presidential Commission on Investigation of Murders and Enforced Disappearances put out a notice for his arrest. Police launched a manhunt for Irufan in June 2016 but he successfully avoided detection by the authorities for more than three years.

Although Maldives Immigration had stated that Irufan left the country in 2015, one year before Fathir's murder, the Commission on Investigation of Murders and Enforced Disappearances revealed that CCTV footage showed his participation in the string of violent attacks in June 2016.

The first killing in the June 2016 attacks was when Ahmed Irushan, K. Kaashidhoo, was stabbed in the neck. Fathir was stabbed in the back three hours later.

The 14-year-old was killed in retribution for the murder of Ahmed Irushan earlier the same day. Police said at the time that both of the children who died in the attacks took part in the violence as well.