Have a bigger heart, Katju appeals to govt

Have a bigger heart, Katju appeals to govt
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pardon for life sentenced ex-cop Katju said though it was a heinous crime, but the former constable, now 51 years old, has already undergone 22...

pardon for life sentenced ex-cop Katju said though it was a heinous crime, but the former constable, now 51 years old, has already undergone 22 years of imprisonment and one of his legs was amputated due to diabetes haveHyderabad: After seeking pardon for actor Sanjay Dutt and Zaibunissa Kazi, found guilty in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Markandey Katju on Saturday sought mercy for Abdul Quadeer, a former police constable, who has been languishing in jail since 22 years for gunning down Assistant Commssioner of Police N Sathaiah in December 1990. In a letter submitted to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at a conference on Urdu Heritage Caravan organised by the AP Urdu Academy, Katju appealed to the government to consider his release on humanitarian grounds. He said though it was a heinous crime, but the former constable, now 51 years old, has already undergone 22 years of imprisonment and one of his legs was amputated due to diabetes. Quoting Shakespeare, Katju said "Justice should be tempered with mercy. If you have mercy please release him. Your prestige will go sky high." The former Supreme Court judge said that a unit of the "Court of last resort," an NGO to be launched by him on April 15 in New Delhi will be set up here soon. The NGO would be headed by eminent jurist Fali Nariman and will study cases of undertrials who have been languishing in jails for several years.
Promoting Urdu language
N Kiran Kumar Reddy, chief guest at the programme, assured to provide all help to preserve Urdu culture and promote Urdu language in the State and offered to host the World Urdu Conference in Hyderabad. Emphasising the need for imparting computer training in Urdu, he said there is a growing feeling that learning Urdu or Sanskrit would not be useful in securing jobs as a result many parents prefer English medium schools. This attitude needs to be changed, he said. He said the government has allocated Rs 25 crore for AP Urdu Academy. For further much needed allocations, the funds have to be spent systematically without any swindling of funds.
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