HC Upholds Death Sentence Awarded to Three Persons in Akashardham Case
The Gujarat High Court has maintained the POTA court decision awarding capital punishment to three convicts in the 2002 Akashardham terror attack, said media reports.
The division bench comprising of Justices RM Doshit and KM Thakar, turned down the appeal of six convicts against the POTA court verdict, reports said.
The three death row convicts are Adam Ajmeri, Shan Miya alias Chand Khan from Bareilly and Mufti Abdul Qyyum Mansuri.
The other three acussed in the case were sentenced to various prison terms. Mohammed Salim Shaikh, a local youth from Dariapur in the city, was awarded a lifer, while Abdulmiyan Qadri was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and Altaf Hussain to five years.
Two militants, identified as Murtuza Hafiz Yasin and Ashraf Ali Mohammed Farooq, and having links with Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed by NSG commandoes during the attack on the temple in Gandhinagar on September 24, 2002.
The attackers using automatic weapons and hand grenades had killed 32 people, including 28 temple visitors, three commandos, including one from NSG, and a constable of the State Reserve Police (SRP).
The judgement was pronounced in-camera and only the prosecution and the defence counsel were allowed.
(Based on internet reports)
