Dear Chief Minister,
I am appealing to you on humanitarian grounds to recommend to His Excellency the Governor of Telengana to pardon and release Abdul Qadeer, a former police constable, presently undergoing a life sentence in Hyderabad, in excercize of his power under Article 161 of the Indian Constitution.
Abdul Qadeer has already served 25 years of his sentence in jail. He is diabetic, because of which one of his legs has been amputated.
I had appealed for his release to the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Kiran Reddy, when I came to Hyderabad in 2013, but my appeal fell on deaf ears. Now I am repeating my appeal.
Abdul Qadeer was a young man of 29 when the incident occurred for which he was convicted and given a life sentence. He is now an old man, and due to his ailments he looks older than his age. His leg has been amputated, and so if released he can pose a danger to no one.
I therefore appeal to you in the name of humanity to release him.
I am reminded of the famous speech of Portia in Shakespeare's 'Merchant of Venice' in which she pleaded that justice should be tempered with mercy.
I ca assure you that if you get him released your stature will go up sky high.
Regards
Justice Markandey Katju
( former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and
former, Chairman, Press Council of India )
8.6.2015, Fremont, California, USA
