LUCKNOW: An anti-terror court in Lucknow on Monday awarded death penalty to Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi, who was convicted for attacking security staff at Gorakhpur’s Gorakhnath temple with a sharp weapon in April last year.
Abbasi was convicted by the special ATS court in Lucknow on Saturday. An IIT graduate, Abbasi had tried to forcibly enter the Gorakhnath Mutt premises of which Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest, on April 3, last year.
In the attack, two constables of Provincial Armed Constabulary were injured. Abbasi was overpowered by security personnel and arrested. According to the FIR lodged by head constable Vinay Kumar Mishra, while he was guarding Gate no. 1, Abbasi attacked his companion, constable Anil Kumar Paswan with a sickle. When other security personnel stopped him, he also injured another guard. The FIR said Abbasi was arrested and the weapon along with his laptop and incriminating documents were seized.