Disqualified MP Mohammed Faizal moves SC challenging Kerala HC order in attempt to murder case

Faizal, in the petition, contended that the high court did not appreciate that – due to his conviction and sentence for the offence – his entire career would be ruined. The plea contended that the high court had failed to appreciate that the electorate of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep would also suffer grave prejudice and hardship if his conviction was not suspended.

New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mohammed Faizal has moved the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court order, which declined his plea for suspending his conviction in an attempt to murder case. The conviction in the case had led to his disqualification as Lok Sabha MP for a second time this year.

Faizal, in the petition, contended that the high court did not appreciate that – due to his conviction and sentence for the offence – his entire career would be ruined. The plea contended that the high court had failed to appreciate that the electorate of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep would also suffer grave prejudice and hardship if his conviction was not suspended.

The plea said the consequences on the petitioner are irreversible and drastic and the petitioner will stay disqualified even for the period during which the appeal remains pending. Faizal’s plea claimed that the high court did not appreciate the incident that occurred in April 2009, and it is a political dispute as he belonged to the NCP while the four eye-witnesses, including the complainant, owed allegiance to the Indian National Congress. Faizal has sought a direction from the apex court to stay his conviction during the pendency of the petition.

In January this year, a trial court had sentenced Faizal and three others for attempting to kill Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of the late union minister P M Sayeed, during the 2009 general election.

The high court, in its order rejecting the plea for suspending the NCP lawmaker’s conviction, had noted that criminalisation of the election process was a matter of grave concern in India’s democratic polity. He moved the high court challenging the trial court’s order and the high court had suspended his conviction and sentence on January 25. The Lakshadweep administration moved the apex court against the high court decision.

After the high court’s October 3 order, he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.