Investigating Judicial Proceedings in the Afzal Guru Case

By Amaira Desai ( Del of NDTV)

The investigation consisted of Afzal Guru being tied to a chair, to force information out of him. It was claimed that no excessive physical harm was used, and the victim was only bound to his seat using rubber. No bruises were visible before the investigation, implying that the only wounds on Afzal Guru were due to the rubber binds holding him in place. This was a measure taken to get as much information as possible. Additionally, there were security checkups before and after the interrogation. Of course, this type of treatment is considered harsh, but it did not go against the law - therefore making it a legal method to intimidate Afzal Guru into confessing and revealing information. 

The subject - Afzal Guru was being interrogated by three police officers. His behaviour during the investigation changed throughout. He was held in the investigation room for six hours, during which he only began speaking towards the end. His tone clearly indicated that he was stressed or anxious during the interrogation - as he hesitated before and stuttered while giving answers. He was hasty while answering, and there were signs of high stress. He did become more compliant at the end of these six hours. When he answered, the rubber tying him to the chair was loosened, as a tactic for Afzal Guru to give information in exchange for comfort. 

Although there was excessive hesitation from Afzal Guru, some information was in fact recorded during this investigation. There weren’t any relevant mental illnesses associated with Afzal Guru apart from the stress of being on the spot. However, he showed physical signs of obvious agitation and discomfort. He was provided with his basic human rights, and none of the actions on Afzal Guru were considered police brutality. The subject did not attempt to flee after the investigation but a lawyer was absent during the investigation despite being permitted.

The investigation was just about a success, and although it took six hours of prying, new information was received by the police whose only goal was to get as much information as they could.