April 2013 News 8: PARLIAMENT ATTACK PLOTTER, AFZAL GURU HANGED

PARLIAMENT ATTACK PLOTTER, AFZAL GURU HANGED

Mohammed Afzal Guru, convicted for plotting an armed attack on Parliament 11 years ago, was quietly hanged at Tihar jail at dawn on February 9, 2013.

The hanging came off less than a week after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected petitions filed by the convict and his wife more than six years ago.

The reaction to the hanging was visibly different from that on November 21 last year, when 26 / 11 convict Ajmal Kasab was sent to the gallows. While that execution drew unanimous cheers, Guru's hanging raised apprehensions about the security situation in the volatile Kashmir Valley.

Guru was convicted for providing logistical support to the five Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who stormed Parliament on December 13, 2001.

Though the attack was successfully foiled by security personnel, nine people lost their lives apart from the five gunmen.

SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT OF AUGUST 4, 2005.

All evidences unerringly point to Afzal Guru, a key conspirator, who played an active role in carrying out this terrorist attack of most diabolical nature.

There was not even a shred of doubt about his complicity

in the hatching of the criminal conspiracy.

The collective conscience of the society will be satisfied only if the death penalty is awarded to Afzal Guru.

Charges

·     Section 302-Murder

·     Section 121-Waging war against the nation

·       Sections 3(2) and 4 of Prevention of Terrorism Act

Evidence

·        Explosives Recovered from hideout in Delhi.

·     Possession of Rs. 10 lakh given to him by the gunmen.

·     Voluntarily Harboured and concealed deceased terrorists.

·     80 Witnesses examined for the prosecution.

·        10 Witnesses examined for the defence.