The Delhi high court upheld the death penalty awarded to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Mohammed Ashfaq in the seven-year-old Red Fort attack case.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Thursday upheld the death penalty awarded to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant Mohammed Ashfaq in the seven-year-old Red Fort attack case but acquitted six others sentenced to varying jail terms.
A division bench of justices R S Sodhi and P K Bhasin dismissed Ashfaq's appeal against a trial court verdict awarding him capital punishment for waging a war against the state and killing three persons, including two Army jawans, in the Red Fort on the night of December 22, 2000.
The attack took place on an army camp inside the fort. Soon after, the army vacated the fort as it was handed over to the tourism ministry for conservation work.
Though the court heard the appeals made by all the seven accused, only Ashfaq got the death penalty. The other accused were let off by the court due to lack of evidence.
While announcing the verdict the HC said the six other accused were arrested on the basis of confessional statements that have no relevance in court.
Those acquitted include Rehmana Yousuf Farooqui, wife of Ashfaq and Razia Sultana Baghwala, mother of another accused Babar Mohsin Baghwala, who was also acquitted by the court.
All the six persons acquitted were facing charges of waging a war against India, criminal conspiracy and murder. “I am happy that my son has been acquitted. All the charges framed by the police were fabricated and the evidences were planted," said Razia Sultana Baghwala.
Ashfaq’s lawyer RM Tufail said: “Though I have not read the judgment yet as it a voluminous record, we will move supreme court against the verdict.”
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