The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre and the Delhi government on a writ petition filed by Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru seeking a direction to transfer him to a prison in Jammu and Kashmir from the Tihar jail in the capital.
A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R.M. Lodha, while issuing notice on the petition, asked Afzal Guru's counsel whether he could be shifted to any other place except Jammu and Kashmir. Counsel suggested that it would be better if he was shifted to Pathonkot jail in Punjab as it would be nearer to Jammu and Kashmir.
When the court wanted to know the status of the mercy petition, counsel said it was pending disposal for the last five years.
Petition
In his petition, filed through advocate Kamakshi Singh Mahilwal, Afzal, who has been sentenced to death in the December 2001 Parliament attack case, pleaded for shifting him to a prison in his home State as his family members were living there and that it was difficult for them to come over to Delhi to meet him.
Afzal also said that he had an 11-year-old son, and his mother, who was over 80 years found it difficult to come to Delhi to meet him.
He said it was not possible for his family to bear the cost of their travel to Delhi. He said the government should either transfer him to a Jammu and Kashmir jail or bear the cost of his family's travel to Delhi.
