Home ministry is examining Afzal Guru file

It’s official. The file pertaining to parliament attack accused Afzal Guru is with the ministry of home affairs (MHA). In response to an RTI query, MHA confirmed receiving Afzal’s file from the Delhi government and said it was “under examination in the home ministry”. The query also revealed that the file has not been sent to the president’s secretariat for further action in the matter. This scotches rumours that the file is still with the lieutenant governor for want of clarification.  The Delhi government swung into action and moved the file under pressure after the lone surviving 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab was handed down a death penalty by a special court in Mumbai. MHA had sent Afzal’s file to the Delhi government in 2006 seeking its opinion on his mercy petition filed before the president. The file remained with the Delhi government for nearly four years despite MHA sending 16 reminders seeking its handover.The Supreme Court had upheld in 2005 a Delhi high court verdict confirming a trial court judgment awarding the capital punishment to Afzal for hatching the plot to attack parliament on December 13, 2001.