Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Now that Afzal Guru is dead…

Saswat Panigrahi

Afzal Guru hanged! India woke up to this news last Saturday. The Parliament House attack convict finally got his just desserts.

It took 12 long years to complete the ‘due process’ and execute the key conspirator behind the audacious attack on the temple of Indian democracy on December 13, 2001.

Though Afzal Guru’s hanging calls for celebration, the process of his execution leaves some unanswered questions.

First, there was an inexplicable delay in executing the Parliament House attack plotter. The Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist was sentenced to death by a special court in 2002. His death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2005. Two years later, in 2007, the Apex Court rejected a mercy petition by his wife. Then Afzal’s mercy plea moved from Delhi Government to the Home Ministry before it finally reached the President. And the process took another five years.

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