SC upholds TADA court conviction

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 13. The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and sentence of life imprisonment awarded by the TADA court in Ahmedabad to

a hardcore terrorist, Lal Singh, and Mohd. Sharief, a Pakistani national, for their terrorist and disruptive activities.

The court, while dismissing the appeals filed by them against their conviction, however modified the sentence of life imprisonment imposed by the TADA court on three others, Tahir Jamal, Saqib Nachan and Shoib Mukhtiar, into one of 10 years rigorous imprisonment.

According to the CBI, investigation had revealed that Lal Singh and Sharief hatched a conspiracy for causing terrorist and disruptive activities in India for achieving the objective of creation of Khalistan and `liberation' of Kashmir. For this purpose, in connivance with the Inter-Services Intelligence of

Pakistan, they smuggled a huge cache of arms and ammunition into India from across the border after making base at Ahmedabad in 1991-92. Lal Singh was apprehended in July 1992 and his accomplices were nabbed later. The arms and ammunition were recovered from their hideouts in Ahmedabad. They were tried by the TADA court, Ahmedabad and were sentenced to undergo life imprisonment.

They filed appeals in the apex court, which found them guilty and upheld the conviction. However, while Lal Singh and Mohd. Sharief were awarded life imprisonment, the others were sentenced to 10 years RI.

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