EU opposes death to Bhullar, writes to Chidambaram
June 17th, 2011 - 11:08 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The European Union has appealed to India not to execute Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Devender Singh Bhullar, whose mercy petition was rejected by the president last month.
The European Union has in a letter to Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram urged the Indian government not to hang Bhullar, sentenced to death for a 1993 car bomb attack in New Delhi that killed 12 people and injured 29, including former Youth Congress leader M.S. Bitta.
Speaking to reporters, German Ambassador Thomas Matussek said they are going to appeal for not executing Bhullar, whose mercy petition was rejected by President Pratibha Patil in May.
He also said the German court that extradited him to India did so erroneously and without the full facts of the case before it.
“Our government together with the European Union is certainly going to make the appeal not to execute the capital punishment,” he said here.
“We are principally against capital punishment. We will continue to make this point to an International Court but will not appeal on Bhullar’s behalf in an International Court,” said Matussek.
“The court in Germany erroneously extradited him. Had we known the full facts of this case, Bhullar would not have been sent back to India,” he added.
“The EU high representative Catherine Ashton has written to the home minister,” he said.
Bhullar was convicted in 2001 and his mercy petition was pending with the president since January 2003. He was the mastermind of a car bomb attack on Bitta in front of 5, Raisina Road, office of the Youth Congress in New Delhi Sep 11, 1993.
The daring RDX blast in the heart of New Delhi had shocked the nation and prompted Bitta to set up the Anti-Terrorist Front.
Bhullar was deported back to India from Germany in 1995 and has been lodged in the high security ward in the Tihar Jail. He was deported after his application for political asylum was rejected. The decision to deport him was declared illegal by a Frankfurt court two years later.
He was sentenced to death Aug 25, 2001, and the Supreme Court dismissed his special leave petition Dec 27, 2006.
Sikh communities and human rights activists are running a campaign asking that his mercy petition be accepted.
“Ambassadorial level talks will continue to make this point to the Indian government,” Matussek said.
- Sikhs protest at Indian embassy in Berlin to save Bhullar - Jun 20, 2011
- Mercy plea of Khalistan terrorist on death row rejected - May 26, 2011
- SGPC sets up panel to save Bhullar - May 30, 2011
- Bitta condemns Akali Dal, Congress over Bhullar - May 31, 2011
- President rejects mercy plea of Khalistan terrorist on death row (Second Lead) - May 27, 2011
- Mercy plea of Khalistan terrorist on death row rejected (Lead) - May 26, 2011
- Akali Dal wants PM to intervene in Bhullar case - May 29, 2011
- Sikh rally at UN for Bhullar's clemency - Jul 26, 2011
- Sikh group seeks UN intervention to save Bhullar - Jun 18, 2011
- 'Save Bhullar' campaign picking up in Punjab - Jun 22, 2011
- President rejects mercy petition of Rajiv killers (Lead) - Aug 11, 2011
- Apex court calls for files of 18 mercy pleas (Lead) - Apr 03, 2012
- Bhullar allowed to amend plea against death penalty - Sep 06, 2011
- Only six states respond on pending mercy pleas - Mar 15, 2012
- Apex court commences hearing in mercy petition cases - Mar 27, 2012
Tags: ashton, capital punishment, car bomb attack, congress leader, devender, german ambassador, german court, high security, home minister, indian government, mastermind, mercy petition, New Delhi, p chidambaram, political asylum, president pratibha patil, sep 11, thomas matussek, tihar jail, youth congress