Guru was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack
on Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2004. His
hanging was scheduled for October 2006, but was stayed after his wife filed a
mercy petition.
Earlier, Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony had
confirmed that the mercy plea of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist was rejected by
President Pranab Mukherjee a few days ago, paving the way for his hanging.
According to Singh,
the President rejected Afzal Guru's mercy petition on February 03..."We
moved accordingly then".
“We did an
investigation. As soon as the President rejected, further steps according to
the jail manual were taken up. I repeat myself; it was law taking its course.
It’s a rule of the law. We don’t announce our steps word by word. The Jammu and
Kashmir Police have taken some security measures,” Singh said.
Formal announcement
was also made by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde later.
Asked if he had been kept in the loop, Jammu and Kashmir
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said: "Absolutely."
Guru's hanging has
been welcomed by the BJP as well as families of those who were killed in the
2001 attack.
On December 13, 2001,
five heavily-armed gunmen stormed the Parliament complex and opened
indiscriminate fire, killing nine persons.
They included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official, two Parliament watch and ward staff and a
gardener.
A journalist, who was
injured, died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.
Guru was picked up after the attack on on December 15, 2001,
from a bus in the national capital.
Five days before the
fourth anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the lone captured Kasab
was not only hanged till death at the Yerwada Central Prison but also buried
there.
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