Allahabad High Court Delivers Split Verdict in High-Profile NIA Officer Shooting Case

The Allahabad High Court issued a split verdict in the 2016 case involving the murder of NIA Deputy Superintendent Tanzeel Ahmed and his wife. Justice Rajiv Gupta advocated for the acquittal of Raiyyan, one of the accused, while Justice Harvir Singh partially upheld a previous conviction. The case now awaits a larger bench hearing.

The Allahabad High Court has delivered a split verdict in the high-profile 2016 case concerning the murder of National Investigation Agency (NIA) Deputy Superintendent Tanzeel Ahmed and his wife. Justice Rajiv Gupta, a member of the two-judge bench, ruled in favor of the acquittal of the accused, Raiyyan.

Meanwhile, Justice Harvir Singh chose to partially uphold the 2022 Bijnor trial court's decision, commuting Raiyyan's death sentence to life imprisonment. The split decision comes after highlighting inconsistencies in eyewitness testimonies noted by the defense.

As a result of the split decision, the case will now be sent to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali for a larger bench to be constituted to rehear the matter. The case involves allegations that Raiyyan and another suspect, Munir, who has since died, fatally shot Ahmed and his wife in a 2016 attack.

(With inputs from agencies.)