Let law take its own course in Afzal case: Omar Abdullah

Omar cautions media against hyping the issue

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday cautioned the media against creating a hype on the death sentence of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and asked it to allow the course of justice to take its own course.

The Chief Minister said every accused has the right to appeal and his case should not be treated in a special way, especially by the media. "Let the natural course of justice take its own course," he said.

''Media should not hang anyone prematurely and allow the legal course to take its own course,'' Omar said while reacting to media reports on death sentence of Guru.

"I think it is important that Guru should not be hanged in the media before his case is completed and any mercy petition, if submitted to the President, is rejected," he said.

He wondered why Guru's case was being highlighted by the media. "If my memory does not fail me, he is ranked 29th in the list of condemned prisoners...why is he being highlighted?" he said.