India News | Kerala HC Calls for Trial Court Records Related to Conviction of Ex-Lakshadweep MP
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Kerala High Court on Wednesday called for the trial court records in connection with the conviction and 10-year sentence of disqualified MP Mohammed Faizal and three others, including his brother, in an attempted murder case.
Kochi, Jan 18 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Wednesday called for the trial court records in connection with the conviction and 10-year sentence of disqualified MP Mohammed Faizal and three others, including his brother, in an attempted murder case.
With the direction, Justice A Badharudeen listed the plea -- moved by Faizal and others against their conviction and also seeking suspension of sentence -- on Friday (January 20) for further hearing.
Lawyers associated with the case said the court is likely to pass some order on that day.
The Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep, represented by Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI) Manu S, has already filed an objection opposing any suspension of sentence of the convicts.
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It had contended that granting any relief to the convicts, like releasing them on bail, would "shake the people's faith in the judicial process."
It had also said the offence committed by Faizal and his brother, who was a teacher in a government school, had shocked the society of the island archipelago where few crimes are reported.
Therefore, their release would send a wrong message to the society, the island administration had said.
Faizal's brother, Sayed Mohammed Nurul Ameen, was a teacher in government service and according to eyewitnesses was the one who exhorted to kill the injured Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of late Congress leader and former Union minister P M Sayeed, during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the UT administration had said.
It had also stated that the disqualified MP "has proved to be a person with a criminal bent of mind" as there were other criminal cases, including a couple being probed by CBI, lodged against him.
There were 37 accused in the case. Of them, two had died and the trial had abated against them.
Of the remaining 35, four persons -- including the disqualified MP and his brother -- were convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, while the rest were acquitted.
According to the prosecution, Faizal and 36 other accused along with some other identifiable persons, armed with deadly weapons, committed offence of rioting and voluntarily caused hurt on Salih after wrongfully confining him and his friend Mohammed Kassim at a place at Androth island.
Three accused, including Faizal, chased Salih when he tried to flee from the spot, broke open the room of a house where he had taken shelter and brutally manhandled him with the aid of dangerous weapons including sword stick, chopper, iron rod, rafters, sticks etc, it had said during the trial.
They were attacked when they had reached the spot for intervening in a political issue during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)