Between the devil and the deep blue sea: the story of Afzal Guru

Almost 20 yrs ago, he had fled from Kashmir because he didn’t want to be associated with terrorism

Mohammed Afzal Guru, an alleged member of Jasih-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the main conspirator in 2001 Parliament attack case, was hanged in Tihar jail on Saturday morning. But almost two decades ago, he had left the gun and fled the Kashmir valley because he didn’t want to be associated with terror activities.  

The association of Guru with militancy started in 1990 when he was a first year medical student in the Srinagar medical college. The Kashmir valley was in turmoil and many youngsters were taking up the gun, so did Guru who dropped out of the medical college and joined Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

Coming from a middle class business family in Sopore, the financial capital of Kashmir, Guru’s family used to own a medical store in the city. Senior officials in the intelligence agencies believe that Guru was sent to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) after he joined JKLF for training in small arms and assault rifle.In his statement, the police say, he confessed he was trained in Muzarffarabad, Pakistan Occupied Kkashmir. This cannot be independently verified.

When Guru returned to Kashmir valley after his training, he was asked by his ‘handlers’ to go to Anantnag and carry out attacks against army and police. However, after working for a few months in Anantnag and Sopore, Guru got disenchanted with the gun because his masters used to ask him to extort money from rich businessmen in Sopore. Because of his growing disinterest in the militant activities, his fellow militants used to allege that he had become an informer of Jammu and Kashmir police.

Fearing for his life from terrorists and police encounter, Guru left Kashmir and came to Delhi to lead a peaceful life. Life for him was not easy in the national capital because there was no source of income. Senior officials of the intelligence agencies believe that Guru started acting a courier and used to transfer money from Delhi and would provide logistical support to members of the banned organisation.

During one such transfer of money, Guru came in contact with Tariq, who used to work for Gazi Baba, an alleged member of Pakistani army who had left his job to fight in Kashmir. Gazi Baba was killed in an encounter in Srinagar in August 2003, two years after the Parliament attack case.

Members of the security agencies said that Guru had provided all support to the five terrorists who had come from Kashmir to carryout attack on Parliament. The 43-year-old former medical student had provided shelter, car that was used in the attack, explosives were hidden in his house and Rs. 10 lakh was allegedly recovered from his house when police arrested him in Delhi.