2003 Haren Pandya Murder Case: Supreme Court Refuses Convict's Remission Plea
Court refuses to consider plea by a convict in the murder case of then Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya.
Court notes the State had rejected the convict's remission plea and he was at liberty to challenge it before the High Court.
The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a premature release filed by a convict names Mohammed Asgar Ali, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh passed the order after Swati Ghildiyal, Advocate-onRecord appearing for the respondent-State of Gujarat placed before the Court a copy of the order dated7th October, 2026, passed by the competent authority, rejecting the petitioner’s application for remission/pre-mature release.
"In that view of the matter, we are not inclined to continue with these matter(s) any further. The Special Leave Petition(s), accordingly, stand dismissed. It would, however, be open for the petitioner, if so advised, to assail the correctness of the order dated 07.10.2026, rejecting the application for remission/pre-mature release, before the jurisdictional High Court. It would also be open to the petitioner to seek such interim relief as may be permissible in law before the High Court," the bench ordered.
In 2024, supreme court had refused to consider the plea by another convict in the murder case seeking a direction to the state government to decide his plea for remission.
"The applicant is a convict under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). It is true that he is undergoing sentence past 14 years. The main petition is pending before the High Court of Gujarat in the form of Special Criminal Application," the bench had noted in its order.
Then Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya was shot dead outside Law Garden in Ahmedabad on March 26, 2003. The CBI had investigated the case and said that Pandya was allegedly killed to avenge the 2002 Gujarat riots. In July, 2019, the Supreme Court had set aside the Gujarat High Court's 2011 judgement that had acquitted nine out of 12 convicts, undergoing life term, in the case of sensational killing of Pandya on March 26, 2003 in Ahmedabad.
The apex court had then restored the trial court's judgement of June 25, 2007 which awarded life imprisonment to nine persons and handed out sentences ranging from five to seven years to the other three under various provisions of the IPC, Arms Act and the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002.
Case Title: MOHAMMED ASGARALI MOHAMMAD VAJIRALI VERSUS STATE OF GUJARAT & ORS.