Kerala HC Rejects Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal's Plea To Suspend Conviction In Attempt To Murder Case

Earlier, the Apex Court ordered Kerala HC to decide afresh the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha MP Mohammed Faizal's application seeking a stay of his conviction within the said period. 

On January 11, 2023, Mohammed Faizal and three others were sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment by a sessions court in Kavaratti

The Kerala High Court rejected a petition moved by Lakshadweep Lok Sabha MP Mohammed Faizal to suspend the conviction against him in an attempted murder case on Tuesday. A senior central government lawyer associated with the case confirmed the Court's order. In January, HC suspended Faizal's conviction and sentence. Following this, Lakshadweep administration moved the SC but the Apex Court remanded the matter back to the HC. 

On August 22, the Supreme Court termed the decision of HC as an "erroneous" act. Further, the Apex court set aside the verdict suspending the conviction of the lawmaker. However, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan protected the Lok Sabha MP from any possibility of disqualification. The court for three weeks protected the status of Faizal as MP saying the benefit of HC's impugned order, staying the suspension will remain in operation during the period keeping in mind that there should not be any vacuum with regard to representation of Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency in Parliament, as reported by PTI. 

The Apex court remanded the matter back to HC. It told HC to decide afresh the MP's application seeking a stay of his conviction within this period. 

On January 11, 2023, Mohammed Faizal and three others were sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh each by a sessions court in Kavaratti in Lakshadweep. They were sentenced for attempting to kill Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of the late Union minister PM Sayeed, during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the agency said in the report.

Faizal then challenged the decision in the Kerala High Court which suspended his conviction and sentence on January 25.

On March 29, based on the HC order, Lok Sabha Secretariat restored the membership of Faizal.