Minor gets 13 years in jail over teen boy killed and dumped in Hulhumale’ lagoon

A then-17-year-old boy has been sentenced to 16 years at a juvenile detention center after he was found guilty in the murder of a 13-year-old boy who was raped, killed and found dumped in the Hulhumale’ lagoon back in 2021.

The 13-year-old boy was reported missing by his family on June 20, 2021. The police had been investigating the case as a possible kidnapping, when the Hulhumale' police received a report on the evening of June 21, 2021 of a child being tortured in the restricted area of Hulhumale' Phase II, prompting the police to search the area.

His body was found dumped in a suitcase in the lagoon northeast of Hulhumale’ Phase II at 02:38 am on June 22, 2021.

Two people were charged in connection to the murder; Ibrahim Zihan, then-27, and a second person whose identity has not been disclosed as he was 17 years old at the time.

The minor was tried at the Juvenile Court for murder with intent, unlawful confinement, and abuse of a corpse.

The court on Tuesday found him guilty on all three charges.

He was sentenced to 16 years, 10 months and seven days and two straight months of fasting for murder. But the court deducted the four years, six months and two days he has already spent in detention, leaving him with 12 years, four months and five days left to serve on the charge.

He was also sentenced to 11 months and three days for unlawful confinement, and another 18 days for the abuse of a corpse.

This leaves him with 13 years, three months and eight days left to serve at a juvenile detention center.

The Juvenile Court directed the prosecution to file a petition regarding the matter of dhiya or blood money once the Criminal Court issues its verdict against Zihan.

Zihan’s trial is at the witness testimony stage – where it has been stuck at for over two years.

He faces multiple charges in connection to the case; one count of voluntary homicide, five counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor, one count of drugging a minor in order to have sexual relations, one count of grooming a minor in order to have sexual relations, one count of unlawful confinement, one count of abuse of a human corpse, and one count of soliciting a minor for the commission of a crime

The state has submitted 79 witnesses against him, including 16 secret witnesses.

Zihan faces 100 years in prison sentence if convicted of the charges.