Devinder Bhullar to be hanged secretly like Afzal Guru?

After exhausting all his legal options against the death penalty awarded to him, former Khalistan Liberation Force member Devinderpal Singh Bhullar is also reportedly set to be hanged in relative secrecy, but unlike Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's case, the Home Ministry is reportedly keen to ensure his family is informed in time.Bhullar, who is presently undergoing treatment in a institute for mental health, will be shifted to Tihar jail in Delhi before the death penalty is carried out, but like Guru, his body may not be handed over to the family in order to prevent any unrest in Punjab, reported the Times of India. However, unlike Guru's case, where his family was informed of his hanging two days late, the home ministry plans to inform his family well in advance."The stress will be to convince the family of the inevitability of his hanging, underlining how all judicial avenues were allowed and exhausted. The family can be persuaded to put national interest over their personal loss, and cooperate with the authorities on averting any negative repercussions of his hanging on law and order," an unnamed official was quoted as saying in the report.Irrespective of whether his family can be convinced or not about the 'inevitability of his hanging', the political establishment in Punjab is up in arms and is already working to ensure that the death penalty is not carried out.[caption id="attachment_698956" align="alignleft" width="380"] Bhullar has exhausted all legal options against the death penalty. PTI[/caption]Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today seeking to commute the death sentence for Bhullar."Both Badals will meet the Prime Minister tomorrow to seek commutation of death sentence of Bullar to life imprisonment," HS Bains, political advisor on national affairs to Badal, told PTI.The Akal Takth, the top temporal seat of Sikhs, had directed SGPC, to ensure measures were taken to prevent Bhullar being taken to the gallows.Security was beefed up across Punjab over fears that there could be unrest among various radical Sikh groups over the impending hanging. Earlier, protests over the death sentence awarded to Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for killing former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, had also resulted in violent protests across the state.The deployment of police was increased by mobilising Punjab Armed Police and Indian Reserve Battalionpersonnel at all district levels, top police sources said.Radical groups, including Damdami Taksal, have declared they will participate in a march from Fatehgarh Sahib on 18 April seeking clemency for Bhullar.