Mohammad Sharif, who was convicted in the 2008 Rampur CRPF camp attack case, was shot dead by unidentified men in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur on Tuesday. He was rushed to a hospital after the attack but succumbed to his injuries.According to initial information, the assailants fired multiple rounds at Sharif, including a bullet to his head from point-blank range.

The attackers fled after the shooting.Sharif's killing comes nearly a year after he was released from Bareilly Central Jail following an Allahabad High Court order that overturned his conviction on charges of murder, terrorism and conspiracy. However, the court retained his conviction and sentenced him to 10 years in prison with a fine of Rs 1 lakh.WHO WAS MOHAMMAD SHARIF?Sharif, also known by several aliases, including Suhail, Sajid, Anwar and Ali, was a resident of Rampur and involved in the terror attack on the CRPF Group Centre in the district during the night of December 31, 2007, and January 1, 2008.

The attack claimed the lives of seven CRPF personnel and a rickshaw puller, while five others were injured. Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had claimed responsibility for the strike.Sharif was among those arrested and prosecuted in the case.

In 2019, a Rampur court sentenced him and three other accused -- Sabauddin, Imran Shahzad and Mohammad Farukh -- to death. Another accused, Jung Bahadur Khan, was awarded life imprisonment.FROM DEATH SENTENCE TO RELEASE: CASE TIMELINEThe case took a significant turn on October 29, 2025, when the Allahabad High Court overturned the convictions of Sharif and the other accused on charges of murder, terrorism and criminal conspiracy, citing serious lapses in the investigation.However, the court retained their conviction under Section 25(1-A) of the Arms Act and awarded them 10 years' imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh.Sharif was subsequently released from Bareilly Central Jail in November 2025, after spending 17 years, eight months and 10 days behind bars.The Uttar Pradesh government had challenged the High Court's decision to acquit the accused of the major charges before the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court then issued a notice on the state government's appeal.- Ends