President Murmu Rejects Mercy Petition of Red Fort Attack Convict

President Droupadi Murmu has rejected the mercy petition of Mohammed Arif alias Ashfaq, a Pakistani national convicted for the 2000 Red Fort attack. The Supreme Court had previously upheld Arif’s death sentence, emphasizing that the attack posed a direct threat to India’s unity and sovereignty. Arif, associated with the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was found guilty of conspiring and executing the attack that resulted in the deaths of three Army personnel.

Arif’s legal battle included multiple appeals and petitions, all dismissed by various courts, including a review petition rejected by the Supreme Court in November 2022. Despite arguments for commutation based on prolonged delays, the severity of the crime and its implications for national security were consistently highlighted, leading to the rejection of his plea for clemency.

This marks the second mercy plea rejected by President Murmu since she assumed office in July 2022. Arif’s conviction and subsequent legal processes underline the Indian judiciary’s firm stance on terrorism and national security, reinforcing the message that acts of terror will face the highest penalties under the law.

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