JOIN USTwo days after the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged, his wife, Tabasum, received a letter on Monday sent to her by the Tihar jail authorities.
Guru’s cousin, Yasin confirmed to Deccan Herald that the speed post was handed over to them by postmaster of the area on Monday.
“Initially we refused to accept the letter which was addressed to Afzal’s wife, Tabassum, but later our relatives and village neighbours prevailed upon us to open and go through the content of the letter,” he said.
He added the letter was from the superintendent of Tihar jail with initials and dated February 6, 2013. Senior postal official said the speed post was received on Saturday evening – hours after Guru was executed – but delivered on Monday as Sunday was a public holiday.
“We received the speed post by air on Saturday evening. It was addressed to Tabassum Guru (his wife). Sunday being a public holiday, the speed post was delivered today(Monday),” chief post master general (Jammu and Kashmir) John Samuel said. Union Home Secretary R K Singh said on Saturday that the family was informed earlier.
“I checked from the jail authorities and they informed me that two letters had been sent by speed post. The DGP Kashmir was asked to crosscheck, too. It is not correct that the family was not informed,” Singh had said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had criticised the move of having used speed post for intimating Guru’s family.
“As a human being, I find it very difficult to reconcile myself to the fact that we executed a person who was not given the opportunity to see his family for the last time,” Omar said on Sunday.