A twist in a two-decade-old terror saga: Supreme Court notifies Delhi Police on Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq’s curative plea in the 2000 Red Fort carnage, overriding prior dismissals via a recent ruling.
The Pakistani LeT cadre’s death penalty, affirmed in 2011, survived review and mercy attempts—until now.
The attack’s brutality: December 22, 2000, LeT intruders fired wildly inside Red Fort, slaying three innocents—Rajputana Rifles’ Uma Shankar (instant), Ashok Kumar (hospital), sentry, and Abdullah Thakur.
Police nabbed Ashfaq and Rehmana in Jamia Nagar soon after. 2001 chargesheet targeted 21; prosecutions proceeded post-fugitive declarations and encounters. 2005 trial court verdict: Ashfaq’s noose, Rehmana’s seven-year term, life for Kasids, seven years apiece for three more.
As this petition advances, it spotlights curative petitions’ role in terror justice. The outcome could influence similar cases, reinforcing or reshaping anti-terror legal frameworks amid ongoing threats.