Parliament attack: No mercy for Afzal Guru,govt to President

The Home Ministry is believed to have cited the Delhi government’s recommendation favouring Guru’s execution. The matter has been under consideration for seven years now and has been a subject of intense political controversy.

The government’s intent came to the fore in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday when Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran informed the House that the Home Ministry had submitted Guru’s case to the President’s Secretariat for a decision.

“The mercy petition case of death convict Mohd Afzal Guru has since been submitted to the President’s Secretariat on July 27,2011 for a decision,” he told the House.

He was responding to a question on why the government is not expediting the pending mercy petition of Guru.

Asked whether there is any provision under the Constitution for deciding a “clemency petition” against capital punishment,the minister said,“There is no Constitutional provision. It was an administrative decision to ensure fair and urgent treatment of all cases.”

Guru was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on Parliament and sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2004. The sentence was scheduled to be carried out on October 20,2006.

However,Guru’s execution was stayed following a mercy petition filed by his wife. He remains on death row.

Meanwhile,the Congress has steered clear of questions Guru’s execution,contending it would not be proper to react on mercy petition cases submitted to the President.

“It is also part of a system. The matter is with the President. Just like it is not proper to say anything on sub judice cases,the same holds true with issues submitted to the President,” party spokesman Rashid Alvi told reporters.