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Centre may take more time on Afzal plea

NEW DELHI: As the debate on the reported delay in deciding the mercy plea of Parliament House attack convict Afzal Guru rages, it is likely that it will take close to two more years before the government decides on his petition.

As Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily indicated last week that the queue of the death row prisoners who had filed mercy pleas could not be jumped, it becomes clear that Afzal Guru’s petition, waiting at serial number 22, would take some more time.

Sources in the government indicated that Home Minister P. Chidambaram was for deciding one mercy petition every month and then sending the Ministry’s recommendation to the President. All mercy petitions by the death row prisoners are directed to the President, who has to seek the government’s opinion.

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