New Delhi: Mohammad Afzal, who faces death for his role in the terror attack on Parliament five years ago, filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking reconsideration of the punishment awarded to him in August 2005.
Afzal's review petition had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court. The present curative petition is virtually an appeal against the dismissal of the review petition.
It is likely to be heard by at least four judges on Thursday.
In his petition, Afzal alleged that he did not get a fair trial in the case and as a result had been wrongly convicted and principles of natural justice violated.
He said the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution was paramount and sacrosanct. No one's life should be taken away without following the due procedures established under law.
The Supreme Court will later decide on the curative petition filed by Shaukat Hussain, another accused in the case who was awarded 10 years imprisonment.
A dozen people were killed on December 13, 2001 when five gunmen burst into the Parliament complex.
Investigation into the terror attack was completed in a record 17 days and the four accused - Mohammad Afzal, Shaukat Hussain Guru, Afsan Guru, and S A R Geelani, all Kashmiri Muslims - were tried in a fast-track trial in a special court for terrorism offences.
The Supreme Court acquitted both Afsan Guru and Syed Geelani and modified the death sentence imposed on Shaukat Hussain by the high court to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. However, it confirmed the death sentence on Afzal.
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