President asked to reject Guru’s mercy plea

NEW DELHI - The union home ministry has asked President Pratibha Patil’s office to reject parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s mercy plea, informed sources said.

Guru is on the death row since 2002 for the 2001 parliament attack. His wife Tabassum filed a mercy petition with the Rashtrapati Bhavan four years ago.

The sources said the mercy petition was sent to the home ministry for its view and it returned the file last week, rejecting the plea because of the heinous nature of the crime.

With the home ministry recommending that the plea be rejected, it is now up to the president to take a call on the fate of Guru, exercising her powers under Article 72 of the constitution.