Delhi govt clears Afzal file

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has endorsed capital punishment awarded to Parliament House attacker Afzal Guru. The state government which forwarded its recommendation to the Lt governor said he should examine implications of law and order situation while carrying out the Supreme Court verdict.

Afzal Guru’s file is likely to gather dust even if the Lt governor confirms the state government’s opinion. According to the government sources, President Pratibha Patil is not inclined to clearing files recommending death penalty.

The Sheila Dikshit government has been sitting on the file for nearly four years and the capital punishment awarded to Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab in the Mumbai terror attacks case brought the issue under fresh focus.

Afzal Guru was awarded death sentence by a Delhi court on December 18, 2002, after being convicted of conspiracy to attack Parliament on December 13, 2001, waging war against the country and murder.

The death sentence was later upheld by the Delhi high court on October 29, 2003, and his appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court two years later on August 4, 2005.

A sessions court also fixed the date of Afzal Guru’s hanging on October 20, 2006, in Tihar jail. Following this, Afzal Guru filed a mercy petition with the President, who forwarded it to the home ministry for its comments.
The home ministry had sent the file to Delhi government’s home department for its comments, as per the laid out procedure.