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 Tihar Jail, India Today reported.
The petition, moved by the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh through advocate Varun Kumar Sinha, argues that the burial of the two men inside a state-controlled prison violates legal provisions and poses risks to security and public order.
The plea states that under the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, the remains of executed prisoners must be disposed of in a manner that prevents glorification and maintains discipline inside jails. The petition contends that the presence of the graves has turned parts of the central prison into a “radical pilgrimage site,” allegedly attracting gatherings of extremist sympathisers.
As an alternative, the petition requests that if removal is not possible, the court should order prison authorities to transfer the mortal remains to a secret location. It further argues that the current situation undermines national security, sanctifies terrorism, and contradicts the principles of secularism and rule of law.
Citing the cases of Ajmal Kasab and Yakub Memon, who were buried in a way that prevented their graves from becoming sites of glorification, the plea claims the handling of Bhat and Guru’s remains deviated from established precedent.
The petition also raises health concerns, stating that burial inside prison premises could pose risks of infectious diseases to inmates and staff. It maintains that neither law nor rules permit religious structures or graves inside jails.
The matter is expected to be taken up by the Delhi High Court in the coming days.
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
