New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the plea of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq seeking review of its judgement awarding death penalty to him in the 2000 Red Fort attack case that left three people, including two Army jawans, dead.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi said that it has accepted the prayers that electronic records be considered. "We have accepted the prayers that electronic records must be eschewed from consideration. However, having regard to the entirety of the matter, his guilt is proved. We affirm the view taken by this court and reject the review petition", Chief Justice of India UU Lalit stated while pronouncing the judgment.
On December 22, 2000, some intruders started indiscriminate firing and gunned down three person including two army Jawans belonging to 7th Rajputana Rifles. Mohd Arif, admittedly a Pakistani national, was arrested on December 25, 2000 in this case. He was convicted by the trial court on October 24, 2005, and awarded death sentence on October 31, 2005.
The apex court dismissed his appeal challenging the conviction on August 10, 2011, and his review petition was dismissed on August 28, 2011.
However, in 2016, the Supreme Court decided to re-hear his review petition based after the verdict which held that review petitions filed in death sentence cases must be heard in open court. The apex court on April 28, 2014 had stayed Arif's execution in the case.
(Inputs from LiveLaw)
