Gujarat Indian Mujahideen case: Supreme Court stays death sentence of accused Muhammad Tanveer

Supreme Court grants stay on death sentence of Muslim convict in Gujarat Indian Mujahideen case

According to Jazri Reels, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court issued an interim order today while hearing the petition of accused Muhammad Tanveer, a resident of Surat, Gujarat. The legal aid committee of Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra (led by Arshad Madani) is handling the case of the accused, Tanveer Ahmed.

During today's hearing, senior advocate Netiya Rama Krishnan informed the three-judge bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice Upresh Kumar Singh that the Gujarat High Court had sentenced Muhammad Tanveer to death. Krishnan pointed out that there is no charge against him that he carried out bomb blasts or that he was present in Ahmedabad at the time of the blasts.

The senior advocate told the court that the Gujarat High Court's verdict is legally incorrect and that the accused has been in jail for the past 18 years. Netiya Rama Krishnan further informed the court that the Gujarat High Court had sentenced the accused to death on the basis of legally very weak evidence and circumstances, which requires reconsideration.

After hearing the arguments of senior advocate Netiya Rama Krishnan, the three-judge bench issued a notice to the Gujarat government and called for the records of the Sessions Court and the High Court. At the request of the senior advocate, the court ordered that translations of the court records be provided to the parties. Senior advocate Netiya Rama Krishnan was assisted by Advocate Shahid Nadeem, Advocate on Record Yash Vijay, Advocate Ashit, and others during today's hearing.

Maulana Halimullah Qasmi, President of Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra, issued a press statement in Mumbai regarding today's court proceedings. He stated that the Supreme Court's hearing on the petition of accused Muhammad Tanveer was reassuring because the court took up the matter after the appeal was filed within the given time. He noted that the accused and his family were distressed due to the lack of a stay on the death sentence. He added that appeals for other accused who received death and life imprisonment sentences from the Gujarat High Court and have sought legal aid from the Jamiat Ulema Legal Aid Committee will be filed soon. He further stated that the appeal of Sadique Asrar Sheikh, who received a life imprisonment sentence, has already been filed in the Supreme Court, and a hearing is expected soon.

It is worth noting that in the Gujarat Indian Mujahideen case, the lower court had sentenced 38 accused to death, 11 accused to life imprisonment, and acquitted 28 accused. Most of the accused who received sentences from the lower court filed appeals in the High Court through the Jamiat Ulema Legal Aid Committee, while some filed appeals independently. The High Court conducted hearings for approximately one year. After completing the hearings, the High Court pronounced its verdict, maintaining the lower court's decision and upholding the sentences of all the accused.