Indian government early Saturday morning hanged parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru in Tihar jail and curfew in Indian Kashmir to prevent clashes. However, clashes have been reported from many places in the region including the home town of Guru.

New Delhi, Feb 9/Nationalturk – The Indian parliament attack convict and Kashmiri citizen Mohammad Afzal Guru was hanged in a secret operation in Tihar jail in Indian capital early Saturday morning. The authorities have imposed curfew in Indian Kashmir, where clashes have been reported from several places including the home town of Guru.

“Afzal Guru, who was convicted of plotting the 2001 terror attack on Indian Parliament, was hanged at 0800 hours inside high security Tihar Jail, New Delhi,” Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters.

Guru, who hails from Sopore area of Indian Kashmir, is survived by two brothers and wife Tabasum and son Galib.

Shinde said Guru’s mercy plea case was sent to him by Indian President when he took over as Indian Home Minister. “I examined it in detail and recommended it to President on January 21 and the file was returned to me by President on February 3. I signed the file on Guru’s hanging on February 4 and instructed authorities to take further action”.

“The judiciary confirmed the date and timing of Afzal Guru’s hanging and finally he was hanged in Tihar Jail at 0800 hours today,” Shinde said.

Indian Home Secretary R K Singh said the Kashmir government was informed about the hanging of Afzal Guru last evening. “The Chief Minister of the region Omar Abdullah was informed about hanging of Guru last evening”.

Asked whether the family members of Guru were informed, he said, “We had sent a letter to them through speed post and registered post”.

Officials said body of Guru has been buried inside the jail itself.

Guru was convicted of alleged conspiracy in December 2001 attack on Indian Parliament and was sentenced to death by Indian Supreme Court in 2004. His hanging was scheduled for October 2006, but was stayed after his wife filed a mercy petition.

On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed gunmen stormed the Indian Parliament complex and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine persons including five Delhi Police men, 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 attackers were also killed.

Guru was arrested on December 15, 2001, from a bus in Indian capital.

Curfew, clashes in Kashmir

The authorities in Indian Kashmir imposed indefinite curfew in the region to ensure peace and law and order. Afzal Guru hails from the sensitive Sopore of Kashmir.

Thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in Srinagar, the summer capital and other parts of the region. The troopers placed barricades, concertina wires and armoured vehicles on the road to block movement of people.  All the roads were sealed.

Meanwhile, youth defied curfew and restrictions at many places in the region including the home town of Guru and staged anti-India demonstrations.

Reports said four persons were injured when police and paramilitary fired on protestors at Doabagah, Sopore in North Kashmir. One of the injured is said to be critical.

Authorities have deployed army twin towns of Sopore and Baramulla in North Kashmir to enforce strict curfew and prevent clashes.

However, reports said despite presence of army, youth took to streets in Sopore and protested against the hanging of Guru. They clashed with police and paramilitary personnel, who fired tear smoke shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse them. The protestors retaliated by hurling bricks and  stones towards the troopers. The clashes were going on.

We’re not informed: Guru’s family members

“We came to know about the hanging of Guru through television channels and social networking sites,” said Guru’s cousin Yaseen Guru.

He said the family members had no idea about it. “We were woken up by people. We did not receive any letter from Indian government. No family member was informed”.

He said Guru’s wife had appealed for mercy petition and she should have been informed that her mercy petition has been rejected.

The brother of Guru said they will demand the body of Guru. “We will complete all the legal formalities in this regard and seek his body for proper burial in Kashmir”.

3-day-strike

Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has called for  three-day strike in Indian Kashmir against the hanging of Afzal Guru.

“The hanging of Guru is unjust and murder of democracy. I appeal people to observe complete shutdown on February 9, 10 and 11 against the hanging of Guru,” he said.

He said Afzal Guru was not given a fair trial and his hanging once again proves that Kashmirs can never expect justice from India.

Kashmir’s CM appeals for peace

The Chief Minister of the region Omar Abdullah appealed for calm and peace in the region.

“I understand there is a certain degree of angst as a result of hanging. I also understand there are among us those, who would like to exploit the situation for their own personal and political advantage thereby putting the people of the state to more inconvenience,” he said in a brief interaction with media persons.

He said Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde informed him last night that Afzal Guru will be hanged at 8 pm today as all judicial process had been completed.

“We made a quick assessment of the situation and decided to impose some restrictions in the Kashmir. No death warrant was signed against him in Kashmir as there was no case against him in the region,” he added.

Afzal Guru is the second Kashmir to be hanged in India’s Tihar jail. On February 11, 1984 Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, founder of pro-independence JKLF group was hanged in Tihar Jail. His body was buried in the jail and was not given to his family members for proper burial.

The complete shutdown is being observed in the region on his death anniversary. The separatist leaders and his family members have been demanding that his body be returned to them for proper burial in Kashmir.

 

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News

 

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