| And acquits six others and his wife. |
A division bench of Delhi High Court found Ashfaq, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) guerrilla, guilty of "conducting war against the state" in the terror attack on December 22, 2000, in which one civilian and two soldiers of the Indian Army were killed. The Delhi Police had said the attack on the fort was masterminded by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba. "The terrorists had carefully selected the army camp inside the fort, a place of national importance and prestige. They deliberately selected it as it would cause widespread indignation and fear in the country," the High Court judge said today.
The court, however, acquitted six others, convicted by the subordinate court, due to lack of evidence. The subordinate court had given capital punishment to Ashfaq for waging war against the state and murder. Ashfaq's wife Rehmana, of Indian origin, was also convicted for conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison. She has, however, been acquitted.