Kochi:The Kerala High Court on Thursday said it will hear next week the appeal moved by Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal who was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a sessions court in an attempt to murder case. Justice A Badharudeen gave time till January 17 to the prosecution and the complainant-victim to file their objections against the plea filed by the MP through advocate Sasthamangalam Ajithkumar.
Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI) Manu S appeared for the Lakshadweep police. Along with the MP, three others were also sentenced to 10 years in jail by the Sessions court in Kavaratti on Wednesday for attempting to kill Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of late Congress leader and former Union Minister P M Sayeed, during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. All the convicts are relatives.
The convicts were airlifted to Kerala and lodged in the Kannur central jail. There were 37 accused in the case. The verdict has cast a shadow over the political career of Faizal, a leader of the NCP, as he faces disqualification due to the conviction and sentencing for a period of 10 years in the criminal case.
According to the prosecution, the Lakshadweep MP and 36 other accused along with some other identifiable persons, armed with deadly weapons, committed offence of rioting and voluntarily caused hurt on Salih after wrongfully confining him and his friend Mohammed Kassim at a place at Androth island.
Three accused including Faizal chased Salih when he tried to flee from the spot, broke open the room of a house where he had taken shelter and brutally manhandled him with the aid of dangerous weapons including sword-stick, chopper, iron rod, rafters, sticks etc, it said.
Severely wounded Salih, son-in-law of former Union Minister P M Sayeed, was evacuated to Ernakulam in Kerala in a chopper for better medical aid, the prosecution said. They were attacked when they had reached the spot for intervening in a political issue during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. (PTI)
