High Stakes: The Legal Battle of Tazeen Fatma and Abdullah Azam Khan

On Friday, the Supreme Court called for a response from the Uttar Pradesh government concerning pleas from Tazeen Fatma and Abdullah Azam Khan regarding their convictions in an alleged forged birth certificate case.

A bench, led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, questioned petitioners' counsel Nizam Pasha on the prospects of staying the convictions, with the suggestion that such actions are rare, typically limited to suspending sentences.

The appeal contests an Allahabad High Court decision that, despite pausing sentences from an October 2023 trial court ruling, upheld convictions that disqualify them under the Representation of the People Act, impacting their political prospects and reputation.

(With inputs from agencies.)