Petition filed to remove Afzal Guru, Maqbool Bhat's Tihar graves
What's the story
A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking the removal of the graves of hanged terrorists Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru from Tihar Jail. The plea was filed by Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh and raises concerns over their continued presence in the central prison. It claims that these burial sites violate legal and constitutional provisions, including the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018.
Legal request
Court asked to direct prison authorities
The petition also asks the court to direct prison authorities to either remove the graves or transfer the remains to a secret location. This is to prevent glorification of terrorism and misuse of jail premises. The plea argues that having these graves inside a state-controlled prison is illegal and against public interest, violating Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, which mandate disposal of executed prisoners' bodies in a manner that prevents glorification and maintains discipline.
Security concerns
'Radical pilgrimage site'
The petition alleges that the graves have made Tihar Central Jail a "radical pilgrimage site," where extremist elements congregate to worship convicted terrorists. This situation, it said, poses a risk to prison security and order. The plea further argues that this scenario undermines national security and public order, sanctifying terrorism in violation of secularism and rule of law principles under the Indian Constitution.
Legal precedent
Petition cites cases of Kasab, Memon
The petition also cites the cases of Ajmal Kasab and Yakub Memon, who were buried in a manner that their graves couldn't be glorified. The plea states that legal provisions don't allow construction of religious structures or graves inside prison premises. Neither the Act nor the Rules permit burial of any terrorist or convict inside a prison. It also claims that the burial poses a risk of infectious and hazardous diseases to inmates and staff.
Convicts
Both were hangedÂ
Bhat was hanged at Tihar Jail on February 11, 1984, for the murder of a policeman, and his body was buried on the prison premises. Guru was a key conspirator in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. He was also hanged in February 2013 at Tihar Jail after being convicted of his role in the terror attack that killed nine people.