SC adjourns Shoukat Hussain's petition by two weeks

New Delhi, Feb 5 (UNI) The Supreme Court today adjourned by two weeks the hearing of writ petition filed by Shoukat Hussain Guru, serving ten years imprisonment in Parliament attack case challenging his conviction and sentence in the case under Section 123-A IPC.

Earlier, counsel for Delhi Police justified the sentence awarded to the petitioner for an offence under the Section 123-A IPC and told the bench comprising Justices P P Naolekar and Lokeshwar Singh Panta that the petitioner had information about the criminal conspiracy but did not inform the police deliberately.

Delhi police also contended that the issues raised by the petitioner in the present writ petition have already been considered by this court and his appeal, review petition and curative petition have been dismissed by it.

Shoukat Hussain is challenging his conviction and sentence on the grounds that the charges under Section 123-A IPC were never framed against him and he was never given an opportunity to defend himself on this point.

Shoukat Hussain was awarded capital punishment in the case by trial court which was later confirmed by the Delhi High Court also.

The Supreme Court, however, reduced his sentence to ten years and acquitted him of the charge of criminal conspiracy in the case.

Another accused, Afzal Guru is facing a death sentence in the case and his mercy petition is pending before the President.

In all nine people and five terrorists who attacked Parliament on December 13, 2001, were killed.

Shoukat Hussain is being represented by senior Counsel Shanti Bhushan.

UNI AKS/SC SW DS1520