Home ministry recommends death sentence for Afzal Guru

Home Ministry has apparently rejected the mercy petition of Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru and has sent the file back to the President.

Afzal was awarded the death sentence by a local court on December 18, 2002, after he was found guilty of plotting the Parliament attack on December 13, 2001.

On October 29, 2003, the death sentence was upheld by the Delhi High Court. Following which, Afzal had then appealed against it in the Supreme Court, which rejected the plea on August 4, 2005.

Guru then filed a mercy petition with the President, who forwarded it to the Home Ministry for its clarification.
The Ministry sent Afzal's file to the Delhi government in 2006 seeking its opinion on the mercy petition filed before the President of India by Afzal's wife Tabassum.

The file remained with the Delhi government for nearly four years.On May 18, the file was again sent to the Lieutenant-Governor, who finally sent it back to the Ministry.