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New Delhi: President Draupadi Murmu has rejected the mercy petition of Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Arif (Arif ) alias Ashfaq, convicted in the nearly 24-year-old Red Fort attack case. Officials gave information about this on Wednesday and thus this has become the second mercy petition rejected by the President after assuming office on July 25, 2022. The Supreme Court had rejected Arif’s review petition on November 3, 2022 and upheld the death sentence given to him in the case.
Terrorist Mohammad Arif still has a way
Experts, however, believe that the convicted terrorist sentenced to death can still approach the Supreme Court for reduction of his sentence on the basis of long delay under Article 32 of the Constitution. Citing the order of the President’s Secretariat dated May 29, officials said that Arif’s mercy petition was received on May 15, which was rejected on May 27. The Supreme Court, while upholding the death sentence, said that there was no evidence in favor of Arif which could reduce the seriousness of his crime.
Firing was done on the unit of Rajputana Rifles
The Supreme Court emphasized that the attack on the Red Fort was a direct threat to the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country. In this attack, on 22 December 2000, the infiltrators opened fire on the unit of 7 Rajputana Rifles deployed in the Red Fort complex, resulting in the death of 3 army personnel. Arif, a Pakistani citizen and a member of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, was arrested by the Delhi Police four days after the attack.
Arif was sentenced to death in October 2005
The 2022 order of the Supreme Court said, ‘The appellant-accused Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq was a Pakistani national and had illegally entered Indian territory.’ Arif was found guilty of conspiring to carry out the attack along with other terrorists and was sentenced to death by the subordinate court in October 2005. The Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court upheld this verdict in subsequent appeals.
