Supreme Court Upholds LeT Terrorist Mohd Arif's Death Penalty

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a review petition filed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Arif against the death penalty awarded to him in connection with the 2000 Red Fort attack case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi said, “We have accepted the prayers that electronic records must be placed in consideration. His guilt is proved. We affirm the view taken by this court and reject the review petition”.

On December 22, 2000, three people, including two Army personnel, were killed during an attack on the Red Fort in Delhi. Arif a Pakistani LeT terrorist was found guilty of murder, conspiracy, and waging war against the country. After five years a trial court awarded a death sentence to Arif in November 2005 and also imposed a fine of Rs 4.35 lakh on him.

Then in 2007, the Delhi High Court upheld his death sentence. In August 2011, the Supreme Court confirmed Arif's death sentence for carrying out the attack. The apex court also dismissed his review petition later in August 2011 where Arif challenged the capital punishment awarded to him by a sessions court in 2005. In 2014, the apex court stayed his execution. Then, in 2016, the Supreme Court decided to once again hear his review petition.