On Tuesday, Judge L Jayavanth handed down a 13‑year sentence and a Rs 16,000 fine to Abdul Samad, a 76‑year‑old native of Kollam, for his role in a 1988 robbery at Nallurnad Service Cooperative Bank in the Wayanad district.
The bank was raided on the night of 8 January 1988 by a six‑man gang that arrived in a car, broke the locks, and seized a safe, nearly a kilogram of gold and ₹5,544 in cash. NewPARA Two bank staff members, hearing the commotion, were attacked with a crowbar, leaving lasting trauma.
Four of the original suspects—Subair, Suresh Babu, Alikkutty, and Naseer—were arrested and sentenced in 1993, while O K Babu, who had remained absconding, surrendered in 2017 before being sentenced.
Investigators, led by the former Mananthavady police and later the District CBCID, collected 166 documents and 21 material items; the court heard 40 witnesses and the prosecution presented a comprehensive case.
If Samad fails to pay the fine, he will serve an additional ten months; the case is now poised for a possible appeal before the Bombay High Court.