Afzal Guru's J&K prison plea rejected

NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday rejected the plea of Parliament attack case convict Mohammed Afzal Guru, who is in the death row, for transfer from Tihar Jail here to a central prison in Jammu and Kashmir.

Security concerns have been cited as the ground for turning down his petition.

"Guru's plea has been rejected. It has been turned down because of security reasons," a Home Ministry official said.

He had earlier pleaded for his transfer before the Supreme Court so that his family could meet him. The court had asked the government to take a decision on it.

Guru was sentenced to death by a sessions court on December 18, 2002 for the 2001 terror attack on Parliament. The verdict was upheld by the Delhi High Court on October 29, 2003 and by the Supreme Court on August 4, 2005.

Five terrorists had attacked Parliament on December 13, 2001 leaving several security personnel dead. Guru, a resident of Sopore, was charged with plotting the attack.