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Kerala HC suspends Lakshadweep ex-MP’s conviction

Disqualified Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal and three others were convicted in an attempted murder case by a court in Lakshadweep.

Kerala HC suspends Lakshadweep ex-MP’s conviction

Kerala High Court [File Photo]

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday suspended the conviction and sentence awarded to disqualified Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal and three others by a court in Lakshadweep, in an attempt to murder case, till the disposal of the appeal

A single bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Joseph, while suspending conviction and sentence awarded to Faizal and three others by a Kavaratti court said that decriminalisation of politics is an essential requirement of a democracy.

“It is necessary that purity in politics and consequently in democracy is required to be infused. The decriminalisation of politics is an essential requirement of every democracy. As a constitutional court it is the bounden duty to advance constitutional objectives including purity in politics. However, these lofty principles cannot be the basis to deny the application of rule of law,” the court said

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The court on 11 January convicted the former Lakshadweep MP and NCP leader and the three other accused for offences punishable under various IPC sections and sentenced them for 10 years’ imprisonment for attempting to kill Mohammed Salih, son- in-law of late Congress leader PM Sayeed during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

Faizal moved an appeal in the Kerala High Court, challenging the Kavaratti court’s order convicting and imprisoning him in the attempted murder case.

When the petition came up for hearing, the prosecution opposed the plea of the accused to suspend the sentence and release on bail,stating that if the sentence is suspended, it would send the wrong message to the people of Lakshadweep.

Faizal’s counsel argued that the trial court order was against me facts and evidence. The weapons allegedly used were not recovered,the counsel submitted.

Faizal was disqualified from the membership of the Lok Sabha after his conviction.

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