Judges differ on plea by blast convict

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday passed a split verdict on a Pakistan national’s plea challenging his conviction and death sentence awarded to him in the 1997 Delhi blast case. In vie

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday passed a split verdict on a Pakistan national’s plea challenging his conviction and death sentence awarded to him in the 1997 Delhi blast case. In view of this, the Bench comprising Justice H L Dattu and Justice C K Prasad referred the case to the Chief Justice to be posted before another Bench for an appropriate decision.  Justice Dattu wanted to direct a fresh trial in view of the fact that witnesses were not cross-examined by the accused, but  Justice C K Prasad differed.  Mohammad Hussain was convicted and sentenced to death in November 2004 by the trial court for his role in the 1997 Delhi bomb blast in a bus leaving four persons dead and 28 injured. The trial court had termed the case ‘rarest of the rare’ and awarded death sentence to Hussain. In 2006, the High Court had upheld the death sentence and this was challenged by Hussain before the Supreme Court.

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