Allahabad High Court in first hearing on Thursday noted that the lower court had imposed life imprisonment despite the presence of insufficient evidence.
Team Clarion
LUCKNOW — The decision of the Sub-Court against Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, Umar Gautam, and others has been formally challenged in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court. The first accused in the case Irfan Shaikh from Maharashtra has filed the appeal with support from Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (Arshad Madani).
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind in a press release on Friday said that the appeal is being led by the Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra’s Legal Aid Committee, with senior advocate OP Tiwari and advocate Furqan Pathan representing Irfan Khan.
The appeal was heard by a two-member bench consisting of Justice Attaur Rehman Masoudi and Justice Ajay Kumar Srivastava on Thursday. During the hearing, the bench noted that the lower court had imposed life imprisonment despite the presence of insufficient evidence. Advocate Tiwari argued that the legal provisions under which the Sub-Court had convicted the accused were inapplicable to this particular case, stressing the need for a revision of the judgment.
The legal team for the defence contends that the decision of the lower court was flawed and needs to be overturned, citing gaps in the evidence presented during the original trial. The case has garnered significant attention due to the stature of the accused and the implications surrounding the verdict.
Further hearings are expected in the coming weeks as the defence seeks to secure justice for the accused persons.
