This Day That Year : December 13, 2001, Parliament Attacked By Terrorists

File Picture

Today is the 17th anniversary of the dastardly attack on the symbol of Indian democracy – The Parliament which was attacked on terrorists on December 13, 2001 . An attack that almost put India and Pakistan on a brink of going to war.

Here is the timeline of the day India will never forget :

December 13, 2001: Five terrorists enter Parliament complex in a car with Home Ministry and Parliament labels and go on a rampage. The attack led to the deaths of five terrorists, six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Service personnel and a gardener. More than 100 people, including major politicians were inside the parliament building at the time.

The gunmen used a fake identity sticker on the car they drove and thus breached the security deployed around the parliamentary complex. The terrorists carried AK47 rifles, grenade launchers, pistols and grenades.

December 15: The Delhi Police pick up Afzal Guru, member of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, from Jammu and Kashmir. S A R Geelani of Delhi University’s Zakir Hussain College picked up for questioning and later arrested. Two others — Afsan Guru and her husband Shaukat Hussain Guru — were picked up later.

Dec 29, 2001: Afzal Guru sent to 10-day police remand.

June 4, 2002: Charges framed against the four persons picked up by the police.

December 18, 2002: Death sentences awarded to Geelani, Shaukat Hussain and Afzal Guru, while Afsan Guru was let off.

August 30, 2003: Jaish-e-Muhammad leader Ghazi Baba, prime accused in the attack, is killed in an encounter with the Border Security Force in Srinagar. Three more militants with him are also killed in the 10-hour encounter.

October 29, 2003: Geelani acquitted in the case.

August 4, 2005: The Supreme Court hands out death sentence to Afzal Guru while commuting the sentence of Shaukat to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

September 26, 2006: Delhi court orders Afzal Guru to be hanged.

October 3, 2006: Afzal’s wife Tabasum files mercy petition.

January 12, 2007: The Supreme Court dismisses Afzal Guru’s plea seeking a review of his death sentence.

May 19, 2010: Delhi government rejects Afzal Guru’s mercy petition; endorses capital punishment awarded to him by the Supreme Court.

December 30, 2010: Shaukat Hussain is released from Tihar jail.

Dec 10, 2012: Home Minister Sushil kumar Shinde says he would examine Afzal Guru’s file after Parliament’s winter session concludes on December 22.

February 3, 2013: President Pranab Mukherjee rejects Afzal Guru’s mercy petition.

February 9, 2013: Afzal Guru is hanged.