Afzal's family was informed about hanging: Home secretary

Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's family had been informed ahead of his hanging in Delhi's Tihar jail Saturday morning, Home Secretary R.K. Singh told reporters.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abullah was also kept in the loop about the hanging. "The chief minister was taken into confidence," R.K. Singh told NDTV.

"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," he said.

Guru, who was convicted of plotting the terror attack and was hanged at 8 a.m., is to be buried within the jail premises, as per the jail manual, added Singh.

"He will buried strictly according to the jail manual and according to the religious prescription," he said.

The home secretary said he did not apprehend any law and order problems.
"We have no apprehensions about security problems."

A curfew has been clamped in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Guru was given the death sentence by the Supreme Court in 2004. His hanging was scheduled for October 2006, but was stayed after his wife filed a mercy petition.

Nine people were killed in the Dec 13, 2001 parliament attack when five heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists drove into the Parliament complex and opened fire.
The terrorists were shot dead.

Guru was convicted of plotting the terror attack.