Allahabad High Court Overturns Death Sentences in 2008 Rampur CRPF Case, Retains 10-Year Arms Convictions

Overview

• The division bench of Justices Siddharth Verma and Ram Manohar Narain Mishra set aside four death sentences and one life term from the 2019 trial judgment.
• Mohammed Sharif, Sabauddin, Imran Shahjad and Mohd. Farooq, along with Jang Bahadur Khan, were acquitted of murder, UAPA and related principal offences.
• The court convicted the five under Section 25(1-A) of the Arms Act, imposed 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh each, and ordered set-off for time already served.
• Reporting notes the appellants have been in custody for about 17 years, and ANI indicates the 10-year terms have already been undergone.
• The judgment cites failures such as the absence of identification parades, inconsistent witness identification by name in court, and unclear custody of fingerprints and cartridge evidence from the 2007–08 attack that left eight people dead.