New Delhi, Jan 22: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear the curative plea of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Mohammad Arif challenging the death penalty awarded to him in the 2000 Red Fort attack, which claimed the lives of three Army jawans.
Arif, also known as Ashfaq, was sentenced to death by a trial court in October 2005, a verdict later upheld by the Delhi High Court in September 2007. His subsequent appeals to the Supreme Court, including a review petition, were dismissed, with the apex court affirming the death sentence in August 2011.
A special bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Vikram Nath and JK Maheshwari on Thursday took note of legal arguments citing Supreme Court judgments issued after Arif’s death sentence was confirmed. The bench directed, “Issue notice,” formally notifying the Delhi government.
Curative petitions represent the final judicial recourse for a litigant, allowing review of a verdict even after dismissal of appeals and review petitions by the Supreme Court.
The prosecution recounted the incident of December 22, 2000, when armed intruders entered the Red Fort area housing the 7 Rajputana Rifles unit of the Indian Army and opened fire, resulting in the deaths of three soldiers.