A bench headed by Chief Justice R.M.Lodha on Monday stayed the execution of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq in connection with his role in the 2000 Red Fort attack case.
The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre on Arif's plea seeking its direction for his release on the ground that he has already spent over 13 years behind bars and he should not be hanged after such a long period.
Mohd Arif alias Ashfaq was awarded the death sentence for waging a war against the state and killing three persons, including two Army jawans in the Red Fort on December 22, 2000. The apex court had - in August 2011 - upheld the trial court verdict (September 13, 2007), which was also affirmed by the Delhi High Court.
While the High Court had upheld the verdict on Arif, it had reversed the trial court findings against six convicts including Srinagar-based father-and-son duo Nazir Ahmed Qasid and Farooq Ahmed Qasid, who were sentenced to life imprisonment, and Pakistani national Ashfaq's Indian wife Rehamana Yosuf Farooqui.
