INDIA: GORAKHNATH TEMPLE ATTACKER SENTENCED TO DEATH IN UP

February 7, 2023:

A special court in Lucknow on 30 January 2023 awarded the death penalty to a man who was booked for waging war against the government after he assaulted a Uttar Pradesh armed police force's jawan at the Gorakhnath temple.
Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi, special judge of the ATS court, also imposed a fine of ₹ 44,000 on Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi.
According to an FIR lodged at the Gorakhnath police station on 4 April 2022 on the basis of a complaint from Vinay Kumar Mishra, Abbasi, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) graduate, tried to forcibly enter the Gorakhnath temple premises the day before and attacked the security personnel deployed there with a sickle, injuring two Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) constables.
He was overpowered by the security personnel, and subsequently arrested.
The investigation was conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).
He had also tried to snatch a rifle.
While being arrested, he was chanting religious slogans and was found in possession of a book in Urdu. He was said to have been connected with a terror outfit.
The court had earlier convicted him under section 121 (waging or abetting war against the government of India), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of his public functions), 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Indian Penal Code.
He was also booked for offences under the Arms Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
The court heard his counsel on the quantum of sentence and awarded him capital sentence.