Supreme Court Issues Notice to Delhi Govt on LeT Terrorist's Plea Against Death Penalty for 2000 Red Fort Attack

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The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Delhi government in response to a curative petition filed by Mohammad Arif, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist convicted in the 2000 Red Fort attack. Arif is challenging his death sentence, which was upheld twice by the top court in the past. The attack, which occurred on December 22, 2000, resulted in the deaths of three army soldiers. Arif, a Pakistani national who allegedly entered India illegally, was identified as a suspect based on a call detail record (CDR) found on a chit outside the Red Fort a day after the incident. Arif's advocate, Payoshi Roy, argued that his client's review petition was dismissed by a three-judge bench of the top court in 2022. However, Arif claimed that the electronic evidence used to convict him was unreliable and that his statement was recorded under coercion. The Delhi Police had relied heavily on the CDR evidence to link Arif to the crime. However, Arif argued that the certification of electronic evidence was not obtained as per the Indian Evidence Act, and that the cross-examination of witnesses did not take place. The high court had held Arif guilty of waging war against the country and sentenced him to death in 2007. The top court had upheld this decision, stating that it was a 'rarest of the rare' case that warranted the death sentence due to the gravity of the crime and the use of sophisticated arms. The Supreme Court has now issued a notice to the Delhi government, seeking its response to Arif's curative petition. The court will next hear the case and decide on Arif's plea against the death penalty.