Judge who upheld Ansari's death sentence threatned

Justice Kalidas Mukherjee, one of the two Calcutta High Court judges who upheld the death sentence of don Aftab Ansari in the 2002 Amercian Center case, has received a threat letter following which his security has been enhanced, police said today.

The judge filed a complaint yesterday on threats held out to him for upholding Ansari's death sentence on February 5, Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police, Detective Department, Damayanti Sen said.

"We are verifying the contents of the letter addressed to the judge and the sender's identity and motive," she told PTI.
Sen said that adequate security was provided to the judge.

According to police sources, the typed letter warned that the judge "had not done the right thing" by upholding the death sentence.

This was the first instance of a high court judge receiving a threat letter, they said.

The high court on February five upheld the death sentences of Ansari and another accused Jamiluddin Nasir awarded by a trial court.

Six police personnel were killed in the attack in front of the American Centre here on January 22, 2002.