The Red Fort attack of 2000 remains a significant and tragic chapter in India's history. On December 22, 2000, six terrorists, belonging to the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, stormed the iconic Red Fort in Delhi and began firing indiscriminately. This attack left three people dead, including two army soldiers, and marked a violent chapter in India's ongoing battle against terrorism. Now, 24 years later, the terrorist responsible, Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq, faces the death penalty after a long legal journey.
The Attack at Red Fort
The attackers, led by Ashfaq, targeted the Red Fort, a symbol of India's heritage, on December 22, 2000. Their attack was brutal and resulted in the deaths of Rifleman Uma Shankar and Naik Ashok Kumar, both soldiers, as well as a civilian named Abdullah Thakur. While Uma Shankar was killed instantly, Naik Ashok Kumar succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Arrest and Investigation
Just days after the attack, on December 26, 2000, Ashfaq and his wife, Rehmana Yusuf, were arrested in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area. The investigation quickly picked up pace, with the Delhi Police filing a charge sheet on February 20, 2001, naming Ashfaq and 21 other individuals as accused. However, some of the accused were declared fugitives, while others were killed during encounters. Only 11 of the 22 accused went to trial.
Court Proceedings and Verdict
The trial reached its climax on October 24, 2005, when the court convicted seven of the accused, including Ashfaq. He was sentenced to death, while his wife received a seven-year sentence. Several others, including Nazir Ahmed Qasid and Farooq Ahmed Qasid, were handed life sentences. Meanwhile, the remaining three convicts received prison terms of seven years.
However, the legal battle didn’t end there. The Delhi High Court reviewed the case, and in 2006, the High Court upheld Ashfaq’s death sentence. The other six convicts were acquitted. In 2007, Ashfaq’s death penalty was again affirmed by the Delhi High Court, and the remaining appeals were rejected.
In 2011, the Supreme Court of India also upheld Ashfaq’s death sentence, stating that the attack was an act of terrorism against India. They emphasized that Ashfaq, a foreign national who illegally entered India, had attacked Indian soldiers without justification, and thus, death was the only appropriate punishment.
Ashfaq’s Legal Journey
Ashfaq’s case took multiple turns over the years. In 2014, the Supreme Court stayed his death sentence, but in 2016, it agreed to hear a final review petition. After years of legal proceedings, on November 3, 2022, a bench of Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Bela Trivedi rejected Ashfaq’s review petition, solidifying the decision for his execution.
While the exact date for Ashfaq’s hanging has not been decided, the long journey of legal appeals and court decisions brings the tragic events of the Red Fort attack closer to a conclusion, offering a sense of justice for the victims and their families.