'The Police Made Me A Scapegoat'

The Chairman
All India Defence Committee
For S.A.R. Geelani
New Delhi

With respect and esteem I would like to inform your honoraryCommittee that in The Trial of Parliament attack Case in thedesignated session court Patiala house I (Mohammad AFZAL)accused was not given defence aid/Amicus curie in spite of giving three applications for the lawyer of my own choice. Throughoutthe trial I was not allowed to most of the witness, police andothers to cross-question to their statements recorded by the session court. Not a single witness was cross-questioned on behalfof me by any legal aid. There were most of the witnesses which Ihave seen for the first time in court and the court went on recordingtheir one-sided fabricated and self designed statements withoutany argument or cross-questioning. I remained speechless mutehelpless spectator as I was not allowed to speak except few times.

When I was allowed to cross-question one of the media interviewerof National T.V. Channel Aaj Tak named Shams Tahir, heconfirmed and replied that I (Afzal) was under duress and threatat the time of interview as I was threatened by the A.C.P RajbeerSingh before mediamen on replying to one of the questions whichinfact proved the complete innocence of S.A.R Geelani.

The Court did not also gave me the recorded statements of TheTrial, which was going on, so it was impossible for me to knowwhat the court had recorded.

Being in high-security ward of Tihar Jail where it is too difficult tocommunicate with outer people like lawyer etc., in a week, I hadseen a news Through Indian Express daily that my lawyer hadTold the High Court on behalf of me that I (Afzal) had acceptedthe death sentence and I want only that method/way of killing/hanging should be changed by injecting the powerful toxic injectionSo as to reduce the pain of dying. I object and challenge this falsestatement which has been actually given by lawyer himself withoutmy knowledge and consent making my whole process of appeala mockery.

The magnitude and the gravity of my unknowing, unwilling andinintentional involvement in the Parliament attack case was fromthe beginning emotionalized and magnified by police through allpossible means due to my helplessness, ignorance of law (legalprocess) and unability to manage The suitable legal aid. Thus thepolice made me a scapegoat so as to mask their unability andfailure to trace out the mastermind of Parliament attack and tomake people fool. Keeping all these points and facts in view I amrequesting to your honorary that the reality of my fabricatedinvolvement in Parliament attack case should come out/exposedbefore the people and Supreme Court of India. I hope that yourhonourable committee will consider my humble request withsympathy and I will be highly obliged.

Thank you

Yours humbly

Mohammad Afzal
S/o Late Habibullah Guru
Ward No 7 High-security ward
Jail No. 2
Tihar, New Delhi
Dated: 26/01/2004
Place: Jail No. 2
Tihar, N. Delhi

Carried without any editing or corrections from the transcription ofAfzal's handwritten letter.