The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the petition of Mohammad Arif who sought a review of the court’s decision to grant him the death penalty for the 2000 Red Fort attack case. 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. The court said evidence proved his guilt in the case.
Who is Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq?
Arif is a convicted terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba. On December 22, 2000, he opened fire near the iconic red fort killing three people, including two Army personnel.
Ashfaq was arrested on December 25, 2000.
In 2005, a lower court announced the death penalty for him.
In the year 2007, the Delhi High Court upheld the death penalty. Four years later, the Supreme Court also upheld the death sentence. He was on death row.
In 2016, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the review petition in 2016. The court agreed to hear the petition as in 2014, the court said review petitions of death row convicts should be heard in open courts.
On December 22, 6 terrorists launched the attack on Red Fort.
Also read: 2000 Red Fort attack: SC affirms death penalty for Lashkar terrorist Mohd Arif alias Ashfaq, dismisses review petition
Four days later, Ashfaq and his wife — citizens of Pakistan — were arrested from Delhi’s Jamia Nagar.
7 people were convicted in the case out of which Ashfaq’s wife was sentenced to seven years. Two others got the same punishment whereas three people got the life sentence.