All four suspects in the murder of Nadheem “Nadey” Abdul Raheem, 23, have denied the charges.

Nadheem was stabbed and killed while inside a coffee shop in the capital, on 27th July 2017. A group of masked men entered the café, and stabbed the 23-year-old in the head; he died from injuries two days later.

While the first hearing in the trial was held on Monday, the four men charged over the murder are Mohamed Mafaz, Ali Nifaz, Hussain Shamin and Mohamed Karam Suhail.

As per the charges, Mafaz is the main culprit in the murder and is charged with murder with a sharp object, while the other three are charged with assisting him.

The prosecutors read out the charges against the four at Monday’s hearing.

Mafaz and Nifaz are represented by the same lawyer, who denied the charges against both clients. The lawyer also added that the charge raised against Nifaz does not clarify his involvement in the crime.

Noting that the charges raised against the other suspects includes this, the lawyer said that the charge against Nifaz states that “because he left the café with Mafaz and because he was involved in the crime.” The lawyer questioned whether leaving a café with Mafaz warrants a charge, adding that the charge must mention “what he had done to be involved in the crime.”

In response, the prosecutors said that Nifaz was seen with a knife in his hand as per secret witness’ testimonies, in addition to entering and leaving the café with Mafaz, and stressed that this is the basis of the charge raised against him.

While Karam is seen outside the café on his motorcycle, he is charged for accompanying the others to the scene. However, Karam’s lawyer argued that he cannot be charged for merely being present outside the café.

State prosecutors responded that Karam had gone to the café with the other defendants, adding that even though he had traveled alone that CCTV footage and other evidence gathered in the investigation links him to the murder.

Shamin’s lawyer also denied the charge against his client.

The court concluded after hearing both sides, and gave the defendants 10 days to send in witnesses names.

As the Criminal Court is headed to recess, the next hearing in the murder will be held in 2020.

The police concluded the investigations into Nadheem's murder in September 2017.