The Supreme Court has issued notices to the central government, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other authorities on a petition filed by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq. He is the prime accused in the Red Fort attack case in which three Army personnel were killed.
Arif has informed the Supreme Court that his death sentence was upheld both at the appeal and review stages. Seeking relief from the capital punishment, he has now filed a curative petition requesting the court to reconsider its decision. Earlier on November 3, 2022, the top court had dismissed the review plea of Arif in the case.
Plea seeks re-examination of 2000 attack verdict
In his petition, Arif has urged the Supreme Court to review its judgment in the sensational 2000 Red Fort attack case. He claimed that the earlier ruling, which confirmed his conviction for killing three soldiers, requires fresh examination. The Supreme Court has sought detailed responses before moving forward with the matter.
What is the Red Fort attack case?
Arif was found guilty of conspiring with other terrorists to carry out the attack, with the trial court sentencing him to death in October 2005. The Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court upheld the decision in subsequent appeals. The trial court had said that the conspiracy to attack the Red Fort was hatched at the house of two conspirators in Srinagar, where Arif had illegally entered in 1999 along with three other LeT terrorists.
The three terrorists-- Abu Shaad, Abu Bilal and Abu Haider -- who had also entered the monument, were killed in separate encounters. Despite multiple legal challenges, including review and curative petitions, Arif's plea for mercy was rejected, highlighting the severity of the crime and the threat it posed to national security.
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