High Court Grants Parole To Convict In Karnataka Church Attacks Case From 2000

The Karnataka High Court recently granted parole to Mohammed Akhil who has been convicted for his involvement in attacks on churches in Hubli and other parts of the state in the year 2000.

A single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna allowed the petition filed by Mubeen Unnissa Begum, the wife of Akhil.

It noted that the petitioner was before the Court seeking the release of her husband on parole since she was suffering from ailments and requested the presence of her husband since her other family members were also aged and suffering from ailments themselves.

Akhil was convicted for offences under Sections 120B r/w. 121, 121A, 124A, 153A, 426, 437 of the IPC for sedition and Sections 3 and 5 of the Explosives Substances Act, 1908 r/w. Rule 5 and 9B of the Explosive Rules, 1984, along with several other accused, which are punishable with life imprisonment for the church attacks which occurred in Hubli and other parts of the State in 2000.

The convict had undergone 23 years of imprisonment without remission and had not been granted parole for the entire time.

The petitioner relied on a coordinate bench of this Court in W.P.No.5780/2023, disposed on 12.07.2023 which granted parole to a co-accused in the same case.

Following this, the bench said, “In the light of the co-ordinate bench granting parole to the co-accused, I deem it appropriate to grant parole for a period of two weeks from 07.12.2023 to 20.12.2023.”

The court also granted leave to another accused Mohammed Siddiq who has been arrested in the same case on a petition filed by his daughter.

Appearance: Advocate Sirajuddin Ahmed for Petitioner

AAG C.S.Pradeeo a/w HCGP Manjunath K for respondent

Citation No. 2023 LiveLaw (Kar) 475

Case Title: Mubeen Unnisa Begum AND State of Karnataka

Case No: WRIT PETITION NO. 16482 OF 2023

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