Police remove a noose from the neck of Kashmiri human rights activist Ashan Untoo, who was depicting a hanging during a protest in Srinagar yesterday. Untoo demanded the return of Afzal Guru’s mortal remains to his family in Kashmir.
IANS/New Delhi
The hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was an “abomination” and a “barbaric” violation of human rights, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Satyabrata Pal said here yesterday.
However, he said these were his personal views and did not represent the commission.
“Death penalty is an abomination in a democracy and Afzal Guru’s hanging is a barbaric violation of human rights. It is also a violation of the rights of his family which did not get the right to grieve,” Pal said.
Lamenting at the manner in which Guru was executed, he said: “The family had the right to grieve, meet Afzal Guru and conduct the last rites.”
Guru, 43, was hanged inside the Tihar Central Jail in the capital and buried near his solitary cell on February 9. The hanging triggered a debate across the country.
On Monday, officials said Guru’s body is not likely to be handed over to his family.
“The (home) ministry has decided not to give the body to his family and the Jammu and Kashmir government will be informed about it soon,” a ministry source said.
The family had demanded his body and had written to the government. The source said the decision not to give his family the body has been taken in view of the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The family had earlier wanted to perform his last rites inside the jail, but they later decided against it and instead demanded that the body be handed over to them. They have even refused to take back his belongings which are with the jail authorities. Guru’s cousin Yasin said: “They executed someone without informing his family members.”
He said the family was expecting “some positive response” from the government.
Last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde that Guru’s family should have been informed before his execution.
Meanwhile, Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah yesterday briefed Governor N N Vohra on the situation in the state following Guru’s execution.
According to sources, Abdullah held an hour-long meeting with Vohra and gave him details on how the situation was handled. He also explained how the police were asked to exercise restraint to deal with protesters.