The Principal Sessions Court here awarded death sentence to first accused Sherif and life term for second accused Zanobar in the Salim murder case.

Zanobar has also been fined Rs 10 lakh.

Sherif was found guilty on counts of kidnapping, conspiracy, poisoning, murder and destruction of evidence. Zanobar was found guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder.

Salim, an NRI businessman hailing from Varkala, was murdered on July 9, 2011.

The accused ran an illegal money-lending business in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since 2000. They had borrowed large sums of money from Salim.

The prosecution case was that Sherif killed Salim as per Zanobar's instruction so that they need not repay the loan.