Afzal Guru buried inside Tihar jail complex

NEW DELHI: Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged this morning at Tihar Jail, was buried inside the prison complex soon after his execution.

"He (Guru) was buried near jail number three," a top Tihar Jail official said.

Guru spent over 10 years years on death row in the Tihar prison and was hanged at the jail at 8 AM in an operation shrouded in secrecy.

The mercy plea of 43-year-old Guru, who was sentenced to death in 2002 by a special court and later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2005, was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee a few days back, Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said.

The body of Guru was buried in Tihar Jail itself as it was done in the case of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, who was buried in Pune's Yerwada jail soon after his execution.

Union Home Secretary R K Singh said President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected the mercy petition of Afzal Guru on February 3.

On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed gunmen stormed the Parliament complex and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine persons.

Vimla Mehra, DG (Prisons), said Afzal Guru was in good health and was hanged at 8 AM in the presence of a magistrate, a doctor and other jail officials.

He woke up early in the morning and food was served to him, she said.

Mehra also said normal procedure was followed in the hanging. She said Afzal Guru was buried immediately after the hanging.