New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS): Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged in the national capital's Tihar Jail at 8 a.m. Saturday, less than a week after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy plea, officials said.
"Afzal Guru was hanged at 8 a.m.," Home Secretary R.K. Singh told reporters.
"We received the president's rejection of his mercy plea on Feb 3. We moved accordingly then," he said.
Security has been stepped up in some towns, he added.
Afzal Guru was given the death sentence by the Supreme Court in 2004. His hanging was scheduled for October 2006, but was stayed after his wife filed a mercy petition.
Nine people were killed in the Dec 13, 2001 parliament attack when five heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists drove into the Parliament complex and opened fire. There were about 100 MPs in the building at the time of the attack.
The terrorists were shot dead.
Guru was convicted of plotting the terror attack.
Asked if he had been kept in the loop, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said: "Absolutely."
He told CNN-IBN that Guru's body will be buried within the jail campus, according to the jail manual rules, and not handed over to his relatives in Kashmir.
The burial would be done according to religious rites, he added.
"As per jail manual, the burial of a convict is held inside the prison campus," he said.
He also said he did not apprehend any law and order problems.
A curfew has been clamped in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been repeatedly demanding the execution of Afzal Guru and questioned the delay in his hanging, welcomed the execution, but said it was a "delayed decision".
Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the BJP said: " Hanging of Afzal Guru is the right thing. We welcome the decision. The people of the country were waiting for it. But it was a delayed decision."
Afzal's family was informed about hanging: home secretary
Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's family had been informed ahead of his hanging in Delhi's Tihar jail Saturday morning, Home Secretary R.K. Singh told reporters.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abullah was also kept in the loop about the hanging. "The chief minister was taken into confidence," R.K. Singh told NDTV.
"The family was informed earlier. I checked from the jail authorities and they informed me that two letters had been sent by speed post. The DGP Kashmir was asked to crosscheck too. It is not correct that the family was not informed," he said.
Guru, who was convicted of plotting the terror attack and was hanged at 8 a.m., is to be buried within the jail premises, as per the jail manual, added Singh.
"He will buried strictly according to the jail manual and according to the religious prescription," he said.
The home secretary said he did not apprehend any law and order problems.
"We have no apprehensions about security problems."
Jammu on high alert following Afzal Guru hanging
A high alert was sounded in Jammu region Saturday after parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail was hanged in New Delhi, officials said.
"We have sounded high alert in the entire region and there is undeclared curfew in communally sensitive areas," a senior police officer said. Amongst the sensitive areas are Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Doda, Banihal, Poonch and Rajouri.
The administration has made heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces at vulnerable and sensitive areas while the army has been asked to be on stand by.
"There is no report of any untoward incident from any part of Jammu region so far," the official said.
Afzal Guru, hailing from Sopore area of north Kashmir was hanged Saturday after sentenced to death for his central role in the Dec 13, 2001 attack on the Indian parliament that almost led to a war between India and Pakistan.
Afzal hanging better late than never: Modi
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was better late than never.
"Der aaye durast aaye (Better late than never)," Modi said on the microblogging site Twitter.
Afzal Guru was convicted for his role in the attack on Parliament in 2001. He was hanged Saturday morning in Tihar jail.
The BJP Saturday welcomed the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, saying "it was a right move".
"We welcome the move. Though delayed, it was a right move. The opposition and the entire country was harping on the hanging of Afzal Guru," Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said here.
"The entire country was waiting for this," he said.
I think Afzal Guru was innocent, says Hamid Mir
Afzal Guru was "innocent", said Pakistani journalist and TV anchor Hamid Mir after the man, convicted for his central role in the attack on the Indian parliament, was hanged in New Delhi Saturday.
"...I think he was innocent but hanged in India," tweeted Hamid Mir.