Officials at the country's biggest prison—Tihar Jail—have started drawing plans to hang Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Mohammed Afzal, who was involved in the terror attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001.
A city court on Tuesday set Oct 20 as the date of execution of Afzal.
"Most of the arrangements are in place but we expect that little renovation work would be carried out as it has not been used for more than 17 years," said a senior official of the jail.
The assassinators of former prime minister Indira Gandhi—Beant Singh and Satwant Singh—were the last to be hanged in the jail premises on Jan 6, 1989.
"We have come to know of the development and are keeping a close watch on the court's order. But we have not received any information from the court as yet," said the official.
But according to police sources, though the court has ordered to hang Afzal, the convict still has the option to appeal before higher courts for mercy.
"It's too early to say that Afzal will be hanged. He is eligible to appeal for mercy," said an official.
{{/usCountry}}"It's too early to say that Afzal will be hanged. He is eligible to appeal for mercy," said an official.
{{/usCountry}}He added there were over a dozen such cases in which convicts were given orders to be hanged but they applied for mercy petitions which are still pending before the court.
"Most of the convicts who have been given death penalty are still in the jail, waiting for a final decision to be taken on their fate."