Four years after receiving the file on the mercy petition of Parliament attack case accused Afzal Guru, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday forwarded it to Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna.
It is learnt that the Delhi government has recommended capital punishment on the basis of reports filed before it by the Delhi police, the Director of Prosecution and the Probation Officer of the Social Welfare Department, whose inputs on the case were sought.
Earlier in the day, Ms. Dikshit said, “ File aagey chali gayee hai '' (the file has gone ahead), while responding to queries from reporters. Though Ms. Dikshit did not elaborate, a senior official in the Lieutenant-Governor's Secretariat confirmed that Mr. Khanna received the file on Tuesday and that it was “immediately sent back to the Home Department of the Delhi government for urgent clarification.''
Only after the Lieutenant-Governor gave his remarks and sent it back to the Home Department would it be forwarded to the Union Home Ministry.
The Ministry had recently sent the 16th reminder to the Delhi government to expeditiously give its opinion on the petition.
It was only after the verdict in the Mumbai attack case, giving the death sentence to Ajmal Amir Kasab, that the Afzal Guru issue was again highlighted.
