Delhi: Petition filed in High Court seeking removal of graves of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt from Tihar Jail:

News Topical, Digital Desk : A public interest litigation has been filed in the Delhi High Court requesting the removal of the graves of terrorists Mohammad Afzal Guru and Mohammad Maqbool Bhatt from the Tihar Jail premises. The petition states that Maqbool Bhatt was hanged in February 1984, while Afzal Guru was hanged in February 2013.

The Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, the organisation that filed the petition, claims that the presence and maintenance of these graves in the jail premises is illegal and unconstitutional.

'It has become a place of pilgrimage for fundamentalists'

The petition alleges that the presence of these graves has turned Tihar Jail into a pilgrimage site for extremists. It alleges that some people gather there to worship or glorify these terrorists.

This not only impacts national security and public order, but also violates the principles of secularism and the rule of law under the Constitution of India. The petition also states that these graves could encourage terrorism.

The body was transferred to a secret location

The petition has requested the court to transfer the bodies of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt to a safe, controlled and secret place, if necessary.

The petition also clarified that its objective is not only the transfer of dead bodies but also to prevent possible misuse of the prison premises, eliminate the negative influence associated with the worship and prayers of terrorists and strengthen national security and public order.

The Delhi High Court will now hear the petition and decide whether to order the prison administration to remove or relocate these graves. Striking a balance between national security, the law, and the principles of secularism will be challenging.