Supreme Court Setback For Lakshadweep MP Mohd Faizal In Attempt To Murder Case

The Supreme Court today set aside the Kerala High Court order suspending the conviction and sentencing of Lok Sabha MP from Lakshadweep, Mohammed Faizal, in an attempt to murder case.

The top court has remanded the matter back to the high court for fresh consideration in six weeks.

The high court will have to decide the appeal of the Lakshadweep administration afresh during that period.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said the approach of the high court was "erroneous" in suspending the conviction and sentencing of the Lok Sabha MP in the case.

Mr Faizal earlier this year was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to kill Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of union minister P M Sayeed.

He later moved the Kerala High Court challenging the lower court order.

The high court had said it was suspending the conviction and sentencing of the NCP leader pending disposal of his appeal against the trial court order.

The Lakshadweep administration had challenged the high court order in the Supreme Court. The administration contended that granting himthe relief would "shake the people's faith in the judicial process."

According to prosecution, Mr Faizal along with some other identifiable people, armed with deadly weapons, voluntarily caused hurt to Mr Salih after wrongfully confining him in 2009.

There were 37 accused in the case. Of them, two died during the trial.

Of the remaining 35, four persons - including the disqualified MP and his brother - were convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, while the rest were acquitted.