TerrorCase – Supreme Court to Review Acquittal in Rampur Attack
TerrorCase –The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine the Uttar Pradesh government’s appeal challenging the Allahabad High Court’s decision to overturn the death sentences of four men and the life imprisonment awarded to another in the 2007 Rampur CRPF camp attack case.
Supreme Court Issues Notice to Accused
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took up the state’s plea and issued notices to the five accused individuals. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing after four weeks.
Appearing on behalf of the accused, advocate M S Khan represented the five men who were earlier granted relief by the high court. The Uttar Pradesh government has contested the high court’s October 29 verdict delivered last year, seeking restoration of the trial court’s original judgment.
Background of the 2007 Rampur Attack
The case relates to a deadly assault on a Central Reserve Police Force camp in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, on the night of December 31, 2007. Armed attackers targeted the security installation, resulting in the deaths of eight CRPF personnel. Five others sustained injuries during the incident, which sent shockwaves across the region and prompted an extensive investigation.
The trial court, after examining the evidence, had imposed capital punishment on four of the accused and sentenced another to life imprisonment, holding them guilty on charges including murder and other serious offences.
High Court Overturns Trial Court Verdict
However, the Allahabad High Court revisited the case and set aside the trial court’s order. In its detailed judgment, the high court ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish the primary charges beyond reasonable doubt. As a result, the five accused — Mohd Sharif, Sabauddin, Imran Shahjad, Mohd Farooq, and Jang Bahadur Khan — were acquitted of murder and other major charges.
The high court observed that the evidence presented did not conclusively link the accused to the principal offence. The ruling significantly altered the course of the case, replacing the earlier severe punishments with a different set of convictions.
Conviction Under Arms Act Maintained
While granting relief on the most serious charges, the high court did not completely absolve the accused. It found all five guilty under Section 25 (1-A) of the Arms Act, which deals with unlawful possession of prohibited weapons. For this offence, each of them was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
Jang Bahadur Khan, who had originally been handed a life sentence by the trial court, was also covered under the Arms Act conviction along with the others.
State Seeks Restoration of Harsher Sentences
The Uttar Pradesh government has now approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the high court erred in overturning the trial court’s findings. By filing a formal appeal, the state has sought a re-evaluation of the evidence and a reconsideration of the acquittal on the primary charges.
With the apex court agreeing to hear the matter, the case is set for renewed judicial scrutiny. The upcoming hearing is expected to focus on whether the high court’s assessment of evidence warrants interference and whether the original convictions should be restored.
The development marks a significant step in a case that has spanned nearly two decades, reflecting the prolonged legal process often seen in complex criminal trials involving serious national security concerns.