NEW DELHI, Dec 12: Indian writer Arundhati Roy called on Tuesday for retrial of a Kashmiri man sentenced to death for his role in an attack on India's parliament in 2001, Mohammed Afzal Guru.
“There's not a single piece of evidence that stands up to even non-legal scrutiny, forget about legal scrutiny,” said Ms Roy at the launch of a book of essays: ‘13 December -- A reader: The strange case of the attack on the Indian parliament’ written by Indian social activists questioning the fairness of the trial.
The speakers said Mr Guru's trial had major loopholes.
They charged that evidence presented at the trial was fabricated and that he did not have proper legal representation.
“In my 40 years at the bar, I have yet to see a case where a person has been sent to death without (legal) representation,” said Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising.
“What's the hurry (to hang) Afzal?” asked Ms Roy. “He's not allowed out of his cell for even five minutes a day. What harm can he do?” —AFP
