Allahabad HC Overturns Capital Punishment in 2007 CRPF Camp Attack

In a significant legal decision, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday overturned a trial court's ruling that had sentenced four individuals to capital punishment and another to life imprisonment for a 2007 terrorist attack on a CRPF camp in Rampur that left eight jawans dead.

The bench, led by Justices Sidharth Verma and Ram Manohar Narain Mishra, acquitted the accused, including Mohd. Sharif and Sabauddin, citing the prosecution's failure to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. Despite overturning the murder convictions, the court found the accused guilty under the Arms Act.

Convicted under Section 25 (1-A) of the Arms Act, the individuals were sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs one lakh each. The court clarified that any time already served would reduce their new sentences, while the earlier guilty verdict from November 2019 was voided.