Supreme Court seeks Delhi government’s reply on curative plea in Red Fort terror case

Law Notify : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi government to file its response to a curative petition moved by Mohammad Arif, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist sentenced to death for his role in the 2000 Red Fort attack.

The matter was heard by a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices Sanjay Kumar and K. V. Viswanathan. Issuing notice to the government, the Bench said it would consider Arif’s plea seeking reconsideration of the final judgment that upheld his capital punishment.

Arif, a Pakistani national and a member of the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, was convicted for his involvement in the armed attack on the Red Fort in December 2000. The assault targeted soldiers of the 7 Rajputana Rifles and led to the death of three Army personnel.

A trial court had awarded Arif the death sentence, which was confirmed by the Delhi High Court in 2007. The Supreme Court upheld the punishment in 2011, holding that the case fell within the “rarest of rare” category. His review petition was later dismissed in 2022 after the Court found that aggravating circumstances outweighed mitigating factors.

With all other legal remedies exhausted, Arif has now approached the apex court through a curative petition, the final judicial remedy available under Indian law. By calling for the government’s response, the Supreme Court has indicated that the petition will be examined strictly in line with established legal principles.