By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence awarded to Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) militant Daya Singh Lahoriya for kidnapping former union minister Ram Niwas Mirdha's son 12 years ago for securing the release of a fellow militant.
Upholding Lahoriya's life sentence Friday, a bench of Justice C.K. Thakker and Justice P.K. Balasubramanyan, reduced the life term imposed on his wife Suman Sood for her role in the kidnapping to a seven-year term.
The Khalistani militant couple had abducted Rajendra Mirdha Feb 17, 1995, while he was on his morning walk and had confined him in their house at Model Town in Jaipur for eight days before releasing him.
The abduction of Rajendra was committed to mount pressure on his minister father and the Congress government to release a Khalistani militant Bhullar, who had been arrested by Delhi Police at the Indira Gandhi International Airport earlier.
The couple had fled to the US but were extradited from there to face trial.
The trial court had sentenced Lahoriya with life imprisonment for kidnapping Rajendra and given a seven-year jail term to his wife for confining him in their house.
Both the Rajasthan government and the couple challenged the trial court ruling before the Rajasthan High Court. The high court dismissed the couple's appeal against their conviction but upheld the state government's contention and converted Sood's seven-year jail term to life imprisonment.