Dikshit denies knowledge about MHA letter on Afzal Guru

New Delhi, May 17 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday said she was not aware of any letter sent by the Union Home Ministry seeking her government's comments on a mercy petition filed by 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Interacting with media, Dikshit said: "I have not received any letter from Home Ministry. May be the Home Department of the Delhi government received it."

Dikshit herself is in charge of Delhi Home Department.

On Monday a section of the media reported that the Union Home Ministry had sent a reminder letter to the Delhi Government asking it to give at the earliest its comments on the mercy petition of Guru, who is on the death row.

Guru is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail.

However, the Delhi Home Department officials have refused to comment on the matter.

According to the report, the reminder was sent in April 2009 and asked for its views on Guru's petition.

It claims that Dikshit had sought time to study the matter after the Lok Sabha elections.

Even a year after the elections, she was yet to decide on the matter.

In June 2009, Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily had said Guru's mercy petition was 27th on the list of death convicts who have appealed for their punishment to be commuted.

His petition will be dealt with "according to the system", Moily said.

"I am not saying whether it is Afzal Guru or somebody else. Afzal Guru is 27th in the rank but the question is things have to be done according to the system," he added.

The UPA government is perceived to be under pressure to decide about Guru's petition after a Mumbai court award the death sentence to Ajmal Amir Kasab, the Mumbai attacks terrorist, on ay 6. (ANI)