Sharma Kooky attacked press men in court
Aug 07, 2009
Until his wife’s murder, very little was known about Sharma Kooky outside the Indian community or his neighbourhood in Old Kampala.
By Anne Mugisa
Until his wife’s murder, very little was known about Sharma Kooky outside the Indian community or his neighbourhood in Old Kampala.
Much of what is known about Kooky can be gleaned from what transpired after his wife’s death and the subsequent trial.
Kooky owned a shop on plot 40A Martin Road in Old Kampala, which he operated with his brother Davinder Kumar and other relatives. He came across as a hardworking man who went to the shop early in the morning and retired in the middle of the night, breaking off for lunch around 2:00 or 3:00pm.
But Kooky was also an unfriendly man with a severe look. His aggressiveness and militancy manifested most at the court as he tried to attack journalists who covered his trial. His most hated targets were the photo journalists, though writers also fell prey.
Davinder Kumar, his younger brother, with whom he was charged with the wife’s murder, however, appeared humble and he cried most of the time in court.
Kooky, on the other hand appeared unrepentant during his trial and tried to change the story of his wife’s death from malaria, to high blood pressure and food poisoning.
Immediately after Joshi’s murder, the neighbours said Kooky had subjected her to a lot of abuse and intimidation. The two, their children and two other people lived in a semi-detached house on Plot 43/45 on Martin Road, across from the shop.
The pathologist’s report also revealed a lot about Kooky personality. He had subjected his wife to electric shocks that night until she died. The pathologists found punched out abrasions both on her upper and lower limbs inflicted by electrodes placed at different positions. The punched out abrasions were accompanied by what the doctors called ecchymoses, which means large collections of blood under the skin.
Kooky lost the case in the High Court and the Court of Appeal. On April 15, 2002, Kooky lost the final appeal in the Supreme Court, although his brother, was cleared. Todate, Kooky is in Luzira Prison on death row.
FEEDBACK
If you have comments on this story or you know of any old court story you would like to share with us, send an email to the editor at:
saturday@newvision.co.ug
Until his wife’s murder, very little was known about Sharma Kooky outside the Indian community or his neighbourhood in Old Kampala.
Much of what is known about Kooky can be gleaned from what transpired after his wife’s death and the subsequent trial.
Kooky owned a shop on plot 40A Martin Road in Old Kampala, which he operated with his brother Davinder Kumar and other relatives. He came across as a hardworking man who went to the shop early in the morning and retired in the middle of the night, breaking off for lunch around 2:00 or 3:00pm.
But Kooky was also an unfriendly man with a severe look. His aggressiveness and militancy manifested most at the court as he tried to attack journalists who covered his trial. His most hated targets were the photo journalists, though writers also fell prey.
Davinder Kumar, his younger brother, with whom he was charged with the wife’s murder, however, appeared humble and he cried most of the time in court.
Kooky, on the other hand appeared unrepentant during his trial and tried to change the story of his wife’s death from malaria, to high blood pressure and food poisoning.
Immediately after Joshi’s murder, the neighbours said Kooky had subjected her to a lot of abuse and intimidation. The two, their children and two other people lived in a semi-detached house on Plot 43/45 on Martin Road, across from the shop.
The pathologist’s report also revealed a lot about Kooky personality. He had subjected his wife to electric shocks that night until she died. The pathologists found punched out abrasions both on her upper and lower limbs inflicted by electrodes placed at different positions. The punched out abrasions were accompanied by what the doctors called ecchymoses, which means large collections of blood under the skin.
Kooky lost the case in the High Court and the Court of Appeal. On April 15, 2002, Kooky lost the final appeal in the Supreme Court, although his brother, was cleared. Todate, Kooky is in Luzira Prison on death row.
FEEDBACK
If you have comments on this story or you know of any old court story you would like to share with us, send an email to the editor at:
saturday@newvision.co.ug