Murder
An Indian millionaire businessman Muhammad Nisham was found guilty of mowing down a security guard who was slow in opening the gate Illustrative Picture/Reuters

A multi-millionaire who rammed his SUV into a security guard apparently because he was slow to open the gate for the businessman has been found guilty of murder. The court rejected Muhammad Nisham's claims that he was battling bipolar disorder.

Chandrabose, the 50-year-old security guard, sustained multiple injuries and later died in a hospital in India's southern state of Kerala. The case attracted nation-wide attention after the country's Supreme Court directed a lower court in Kerala to deliver a verdict by 31 January. It described the case as an example of how "the rich have become entirely egocentric and megalomaniacs".

Prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Nisham, 39, when the court decides on the quantum of punishment. "We have argued for the maximum penalty – death. It was a short hearing and the court found the accused, Nisham, guilty of murder," said public prosecutor Udaya Bhanu.

Nisham was arrested in January 2015 for the murder. He allegedly chased down the security guard with his Hummer, finally smashing him against a wall. He then allegedly dragged Chandrabose for another 700 yards before also beating him with an iron rod.

Nisham reportedly shouted, "This dog will not die" when he left the victim. Reports said he was wearing a pair of snake-skin shoes worth £5184.82 ($7,350) when the incident occurred. Besides the Hummar, Nisham owns a fleet of luxury cars including a Bentley, Rolls-Royce, an Aston Martin, Ferrari and Jaguar.

This is not the first time Nisham has made headlines for the wrong reasons. In 2013, he uploaded a video on YouTube that showed his nine-year-old son driving a Ferrari, for which he was charged separately. On another occasion, he allegedly hit a man over a parking dispute. Nisham was also investigated for allegedly locking up a policewoman who tried to book him for drunken driving.

Nisham's family makes beedis – hand-rolled Indian cigarettes. He also has hotel and jewellery businesses in the Middle East.

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