Soni Razdan seeks probe on Afzal Guru’s hanging: The death penalty is not to be used lightly

Mumbai, January 21

Senior Bollywood actress Soni Razdan on Tuesday demanded a probe into why the 2001 Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru was made a "scapegoat" and hanged in 2013, despite his raising questions against his investigating officer.

In what is being seen as dipping her finger into a burning cauldron, Razdan's controversial tweet said: "This is a travesty of justice. Who is going to bring back a man from the dead if he is innocent? This is why death penalty is not to be used lightly." The 64-year old actress, who is part German and part-Kashmiri Pandit and is the mother of top Bollywood star Alia Bhatt, said this is also why "there needs to be a solid enquiry into why Afzal Guru was made the scapegoat".

"There should also be an enquiry as to how people like Afzal are tortured and forced to carry out terrorist activities for criminals and then get the death penalty!", said Razdan, wife of acclaimed film-maker Mahesh Bhatt.

Her tweets came in the context of the January 11 arrest of Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Davinder Singh, who has been charged for allegedly accompanying three dreaded terrorists in a vehicle.

Davinder Singh had been named by Afzal Guru in a letter that he had penned from Tihar Central Jail to his lawyer Sushil Kumar. Guru was hanged till death on February 9, 2013.

Afzal Guru was arrested and found guilty for the December 13, 2001, Parliament attack which left 14 dead including five terrorists.

Singh is currently being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). — IANS