Overview

• A division bench of Justices Sanjeev Kumar and Sanjay Parihar allowed the state’s appeal and overturned the 2011 Sessions Court acquittal of former Sogam SHO Ghulam Rasool Wani.
• Wani was convicted of criminal conspiracy under Section 120-B and murder under Section 302, receiving a life sentence with a direction to surrender.
• The court upheld the acquittal of co-accused Abdul Ahad Rather for lack of direct evidence, and proceedings against the attacker had abated due to his death in 2003.
• Key testimony from Constables Ayaz Ahmad and Riyaz Ahmad and driver Ali Mohammad Mir, along with the recovery of a stolen police uniform, supported the finding that Wani facilitated the attacker’s movement in an official vehicle.
• The May 12, 2003 assault near the SBI branch in Kupwara killed CRPF constables B. Prashad and B. Ramaiah and injured others; the assailant was identified as Mohammad Ibrahim from Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad.