Nation on high alert, Centre closely monitoring situation in J&K
In a top secret operation Saturday morning, the 2001 Parliament attack case convict Mohammed Afzal Guru was hanged and buried inside the Tihar jail complex.
With this ended the decade-long uncertainty over the execution of the surrendered militant from Sopore, Kashmir, as his mercy petition got caught up in a political slugfest between the Congress-led UPA government and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
“He was hanged at 8 o’clock… All legal procedures were followed in the execution. The President [Pranab Mukherjee] rejected the mercy petition… on February 3 and after that I gave my approval on February 4… The date and timing [of the hanging] was confirmed by a judicial official,” Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told journalists here.
“The new President sent back all mercy petitions for reconsideration... I examined the file carefully and recommended to the President on January 21 for rejection of Afzal Guru’s petition,” the Home Minister added.
“His family was informed about the decision of the government to reject his mercy petition… This was done through Speed Post,” Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh told journalists here.
The letter clearly did not reach in time: Guru’s family in Sopore, including his wife, said they received no word about his imminent execution.
‘He was normal’
“He was calm and happy at the time of execution. He spent the night before in his cell calmly and everything about him was normal,” Director General (Prisons) Vimla Mehra told The Hindu.
Afzal Guru was woken up around 5 a.m. after which he offered namaz. He was served tea and medically examined before being taken to the gallows near his cell in Jail No.3.
“The normal procedure was followed in the hanging. He was healthy and his blood pressure was normal. A doctor, a magistrate, a hangman and a maulvi were present at the time of execution, besides some jail officials,” said Ms. Mehra.
Asked if he had any last wish, Ms. Mehra said there was no provision for it in the jail manual.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had rejected Guru’s petition in 2011 and forwarded it to Pratibha Patil, who was President at the time. Ms. Patil chose not to act, but when Mr. Mukherjee took over as President last year, he returned all pending mercy petitions, including that of Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab — the Mumbai terror attack case convict — for reconsideration after Mr. Shinde took over as Home Minister in August 2012.
But before the Centre gave a go-ahead for the hanging, security across the country, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, was beefed up to avert any backlash. The MHA also issued an advisory to all State governments to remain on high alert.
Afzal Guru was convicted of playing a central role in the entire conspiracy leading to the attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001. He had been on death row for the past 10 years since he was first convicted and sentenced by a special court in December 2002, while his death penalty was upheld by the Supreme Court on August 4, 2005.
Body not given to kin
In another controversial decision, the government decided not to hand over Guru’s body to his family members and buried it inside the jail complex. “It was a conscious decision… we feared that his funeral could have been used to trigger violence and disturb peace in the Kashmir valley,” a senior MHA official said.
In the case of Ajmal Kasab, neither his family nor the Pakistani government agreed to receive the body for last rites.
In November last year, the Laskhar-e-Taiba terrorist Kasab was hanged and buried in the Pune jail after his petition was also rejected by the President.
Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh were the last persons to be hanged in Tihar Jail on January 6, 1989, in the Indira Gandhi assassination case.
Also read: Editorial - Dec.18, 2002: The Parliament Attack Case
News Analysis: Few straight answers yet
Editorial - Dec 20, 2002: The death sentences
Editorial - Oct 31, 2003: Justice done
Editorial - Aug 06, 2005: Just acquittal, unjust suspicion
Editorial - Oct 09, 2006: Clemency — for the right reasons
Keywords: Afzal Guru, JeM, 2001 parliament attack, clemency petition, Afzal Guru hanging
IMHO, we should cease and desist from talking about such terrorists. By
reliving their crimes via the media outlets, we give them visibility and
purpose to their insane actions/causes. If we ignore them completely, we
will have proven that their efforts to disrupt our lives is ill-advised
and ultimately ineffective.
Govt of India should establish a special court in resolving expeditiously the terrorism cases in
the interest of the nation. This will not only save tons of money of the taxpayers but also
relays a serious signal to the terrorists that the safe haven that they enjoyed at the cost of
taxpayers over the years will stop. All the political parties should be unified and practice
value based politics protecting our national interest.
Lal Chand
It was first kasab and now afzal guru. Then it was increase in subsidized cylinders from 6 to 9. Next is a popular railway budget and central budget full of sops on 28 Feb 2013 and then loksabha will be dissolved in the first week of Mar 2013 to go for a snap poll in Apr-May 2013.
The BJP will definitely lose some votes to congress due to these happenings since Nov 2012. While Congress will gain these votes from the BJP, it will lose some muslim votes to Samajwadi Party and left parties particularly in UP, Keral and WB.
So, at the end of the day it will be loss for the BJP, no-profit-no-loss for the Congress and gain for the left parties and Samajwadi party.
Delyaing Afzal Guru's hanging for 7 years was a political decision and hanging him today is also a political decision. Congress never takes any decision without assurance of political benefits. National interest, people welfare etc. are least considerd while taking any decision.
Media concludes the articles with just a passing reference of the heroic sacrifice of the police officers and men. I remember that the first police officer who doubted the security sticker and who challenged the occupants was shot at. The militants drove away. The dying officer did not lose a second and told his fellow policemen to go after a particular speeding vehicle. That saved our face with least loss. Media should repeatedly flash the faces of such heroes who would be a great source of inspiration to all.
In fact, terrorism has no religion, region, cast, creed, gender. Terrorists are terrorists. The selfish politicians are painting them with various colors for the sake of their vote bank calculations.
It shocks me to see the celebration - like the time when Ajmal Kasab was
hanged. It shows the depths of human nature. We hide behind "national
pride", Serves Afzal Guru right!" or similar thoughts. All that said,
it is nothing but an urge to seek revenge, or practice the "eye for an
eye" brand of justice.
Whether Afzal Guru was right is one question, but India has lowered
itself once more in the eyes of the international community. Capital
punishment is cruel, and serves no purpose. In the context of the
Kashmir problem, it will only create more volunteers that will sacrifice
themselves for what they consider a "just cause".
India is among a handful of countries that still practices capital
punishment. We will continue to be a "developing country", until we
change that. It needs great political resolve to abolish capital
punishment, and our rulers do not have that.
The attack on the Indian Parliament was an attack against the country by a Pakistan based terrorist organization supported by that country's military. Many brave policemen guarding the Parliament were killed in that attack. The terrorist was convicted by the SC in 2005 but the execution was not carried out which many believe was due to political considerations of the Congress Party. If the execution had been carried out promptly, it would have sent a strong message to terrorist groups who consider India to be soft state. It is good that the execution ha now been carried out. Better late than never.
Afzal Guru is no more now, it is time to avoid politics and introspect the circumstances that led him to terrorism and anti India sentiment. Pakistan and separatist leaders of Kashmir like Syed Ali Shah Gheelani are squarely to be blamed for pushing peaceful Kashmiri Muslim youths to violence by inciting their religious sentiments in the name freedom of Kashmir. I want to ask Mr. Gheelani and other separatist leaders a question. What was achieved in whipping anti India campaign during last 20 years other than killings, bomb blasts and violence? Everyone within and outside India exploited Kashmir issue for selfish interests. Kashmir has seen lot of destruction starting with killings and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits 1990 to killings of thousands of Kashmiri Muslims during Pakistan sponsored terrorism. Time has come to fix people like Gheelani and other separatist leaders who are still playing with lives of Kashmiris to satisfy merchants of death in Pakistan.
Better late than never. Good to see actions been taken by our President rather than politicising a criminal act.
It is nice to see that the govenrment is becoming exemplary in dealing with the anti-national elements.It would have been better had it been done soon after the incident of Parliament attack.The inordinate delay was really unfortunate.Any how, the recent death panalties Ksab and Afzal may sow the seeds of fear in the minds of terrorist outfits.
I think the goevernment should act little more faster in dealing with the cases of serious crime.
What ever be the reason behind Govt decision (to hang him after long 10 yrs), finally Govt taken bold decision and proved capability of World's largest democratic state in right manner...
Hanging of Afzal though sends a strong to the international forum
regarding India's strong stand against the terrorism but what remains to
be seen is that in the international community how India will fair in
the ongoing debate of awarding a Death Sentence against a life term.
What was the reason that if the sentence was given in 2004, its executed in 2013.
The government should not delay in giving the capital punishment if sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court. Delaying the hanging unnecessarily create tensions and the government will be blamed for it. Ten years is a logn period of wait for the justice to be carried out. The crime was very serious and it should not take ten years to carry out the sentence. Anyway, it good that finally the government carried out the hanging.
a strong signal sent for all those who indulge in anti India activities
.
Though the action is welcome, the government should not be making so much secrecy. This raises doubts over government's action and also that our police is not capable of handling situation that may arise after such events.
No mercy to those who want to destroy this great country. All terrorist should face the same
punishment.
Bipin Talukdar.
Now that Afzal Guru has been hanged, it would be in the fitness of things to fix a maximum time limit within which a mercy petition reaching the President's office has to be cleared so that the agony through which those related to the convict have to go through because of uncertainty prevailing can be avoided and the chances of it turning into any controversy or being exploited for any other considerations get eliminated.
Why now after 12 years? I suspect this has something to do with the upcoming elections
next year. The government may have panicked that he would die of old age soon.
Thanks to God at last this Government has courage to execute this
capital punishment to those who wage war against this great nation.
By hanging Afzal Guru, government sent out a strong message that
terrorism in any form will not be tolerated. Justice well served.
A word of caution: Capital Punishment should be given only in case all
other avenues of justice have been exhausted.
Finally Afzal went to right place. Though it took so long time but the justice came. It will give relief to victim families as well as it will send strong signal to wrong doer.
Setting aside the moral debate about the execution, this, following Ajmal Kasab's execution, certainly sends a very clear message that India will not extend leniency towards terrorism. Perhaps such are political compulsions of our times. But unlike the sordid display of glee in the aftermath of Kasab's hanging, I hope in this case there is some dignity and restraint.
A brave move. Also tagetted to vote bank since executed now this much later.
The Law has taken its own course , After the rejection of the Mercy plea
of Afzal Guru the master mind in the Parliament Attack was today
executed in the Tihar Jail . Really the Execution is an eye opener for
those who are indulged in Anti Nation Activities .
Indian Parliament attack has been legally dealt with at last; it hardly
matters who he was but his act of cowardise has been punished; if only
legal systems get the highest regards and punishments are without delay
things will improve fantastically for India.Well, it better late than
never!
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