SRINAGAR: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking the removal of the graves of Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru, from the precincts of Tihar Jail. The plea, filed by Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh through advocate Varun Kumar Sinha, asserts that the continued presence of these graves inside a state-run prison is “illegal, unconstitutional, and against public interest,” alleging it has transformed a portion of the jail into a “radical pilgrimage site” that attracts extremist elements.
The petition, as reported by India Today, requests that if physical removal is not practical, the authorities should transfer the mortal remains to a secret location to prevent the “glorification of terrorism” and misuse of the jail premises. The plea highlights that Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, mandate that bodies of executed prisoners must be disposed of so as to prevent glorification and uphold prison discipline.
The petitioner cited the cases of Ajmal Kasab and Yakub Memon, both executed for their roles in terrorist attacks and buried in such a way that their graves were inaccessible and couldn’t be converted into public monuments; the plea argues that the handling of Bhat and Guru’s remains deviates from this established protocol. It also raises concerns about health hazards, stating that burial within prison grounds could expose staff and inmates to infectious diseases.
The PIL contends that keeping their graves within a high-security prison undermines national security, sanctifies terrorism, and violates the principles of secularism and rule of law enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
The Delhi High Court is expected to take up the matter in the coming days.
