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Govt signals backdoor reprieve

Govt signals backdoor reprieve

Author: Vijita singh
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: October 6, 2006

Tihar staff told to defer Afzal hanging preparations

Tihar Jail authorities have been asked by the Ministry of Home Affairs to put on hold preparations for the hanging of December 13, 2001 Parliament attack mastermind Mohammed Afzal Guru.

Director-General of Prisons BK Gupta was summoned to the North Block on Wednesday and conveyed the Government's decision following the mercy petition filed by the family members of Guru pending before the President.

Once the date for execution of Afzal was fixed by a Delhi court, the jail authorities had started preparations, including identifying a hangman to carry out the execution.

"We have for the time being stopped the search for a hangman," the sources said.

While the petition was filed on October 3, President APJ Abdul Kalam met the convict's family on Thursday. "The family met the President of India and they were satisfied with the meeting. They personally submitted a copy of the petition to him. Tabassum, the wife of Afzal said that the President was very kind. Their meeting lasted for half an hour and he listened to them patiently. He told them that he would get back to them after going through the papers. They said that they have hope that Afzal would be saved," said ND Pancholi, lawyer of Afzal Guru.

Even Afzal's mother Ayesha Begum talked to the President. As his mother spoke in Kashmiri, an interpreter was engaged for the purpose. "The meeting was a success and his family has full hope that Afzal would be saved. The President was extremely hospitable and gracious towards them," said Nandita Haksar, a family friend of the Afzal.

Following the MHA diktat, the jail administration would now inform the court, which had scheduled October 20 as the date of hanging, about keeping the execution of the order in abeyance. "We would now be approaching the court following receipt of formal information from the MHA," said Sunil Gupta, Law Officer, Tihar Central Jail.

Meanwhile, former Punjab Minister and president of All India Anti-Terrorist Front Maninderjit Singh Bitta has criticised the President for meeting the family of Afzal Guru. "He has not had the time to met the family of the martyrs of Parliament attack, who have petitioned the President for not delaying the hanging. How unfortunate the terrorists are being honoured whereas the martyrs are being treated with disdain," Bitta added.

Former Union Minister Vijay Goel meanwhile has said that the MHA directive showed the lack of will on the part of the Centre to tackle the issue of terrorism head-on.

"Where is the need to ask the Tihar Jail to stop preparations? How is MHA so sure that the mercy petition will not get rejected before October 20? Do they need to be told that the Cabinet met in the middle of the night to reject the mercy plea of assassins of Gen AS Vaidya, Jinda and Sukha," he asked.


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