RTI query on Afzal Guru rejected

Lucknow, Mar 2: As the uproar over the hanging of parliament attack convict

continues, a petitioner who had sought details about Guru's stay in Tihar Jail through an

application has been refused.

The query has been rejected on the grounds that it would "pre-judicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the state, relation with foreign state or lead to incitement of an offence."

The prison headquarters (office of the director general of prisons) has cited various clauses which could jeopardise the relations of India with foreign countries if details like the copy of the 'black warrant' of Afzal Guru, copies of communication sent by ministry of home affairs after taking a decision on the mercy petition, and the total expenses, item wise on keeping Afzal in jail.

The petitioner Urvashi Sharma from Lucknow had sought copies of document or letters generated, sent and received by the prison deparment during the process of deciding the place of burial, names of the executioner(s), list of people present during the burial of Guru's dead body and any photographs.

"This is completely unacceptable. Why can they not part with communications leading to the rejection of his mercy petition and subsequent hanging," questioned Sharma

She claimed had the prison department responded positively, several "conspiracy theories and human rights queries would have been satiated".

OneIndia News(With inputs from IANS)