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Tihar hangman arrives, dummy execution on Wednesday
New Delhi:
New Delhi:
Hangman Pawan arrived at Delhi’s Tihar Jail late Tuesday afternoon for the execution of the four convicts in the December 16, 2012, gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedic student, a jail official said. The hanging is scheduled for 5.30 am on Friday.
Sandep Goel, director general of Delhi Prisons, said Pawan arrived around 4 pm and will carry out dummy executions on Wednesday. “He is staying in the staff quarters,” Goel said. Dummy executions had been carried out in the recent past too as the date of execution kept getting postponed.
The jail authorities had on Sunday asked Pawan to report to jail at least three days before the scheduled execution.
The director general the four prisoners have been under constant watch and any abnormal behaviour in the recent days has been limited to “anxiety and irritability”. “Prison guards and CCTV cameras are keeping a watch on them round-the-clock. There have been no recent attempts to harm themselves and they have been taking their meals,” said Goel, adding they are being repeatedly checked by doctors and counselled by psychiatrists.
The official said the four death row convicts — Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh – were given the opportunity to meet their relatives and lawyers two times a week. “Except Akshay, others have met their family members in what could be their last meeting,” Goel said.
Akshay hasn’t met his relatives since they live in Muzaffarnagar in Bihar. “They are in touch with each other over the phone. I think they will visits the jail and personally meet him before he is hanged,” said Goel.
Goel said the last meal offered to the four death row convicts will be their usual dinner on Thursday night, unless they make any specific demand. “There is no rule of any special last meal but if someone makes a request, we may consider that,” said Goel.
The four convicts are kept in isolation and steps are being taken to ensure they do not commit suicide. These include providing them dresses that do not have a ‘nada’ (thread) which they could use to hand themselves.
