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Rehearsal of execution, convict still calm
Gallows are being kept ready and the hangman busy rehearsing for the execution of convict Dhananjoy Chatterjee at the high-security Alipore central jail early on Friday for carrying out the hanging orders taking place in West Bengal after 14 years.
Gallows are being kept ready and the hangman busy rehearsing for the execution of convict Dhananjoy Chatterjee at the high-security Alipore central jail early on Friday for carrying out the hanging orders taking place in West Bengal after 14 years.
Hangman Nata Mallick, along with his son Mahadev, has been doing the rehearsals with sand bag, weighing five kgs more than the convict's body weight in the jail premises, state's IG (prisons) J Chakraborty said on Wednesday.
With two days to go for execution of Chatterjee, now confined in the condemned cell for his heinous crime of raping and murdering a teenage school girl in 1990, was now being given 'medical diet'.
IG (Prisons) told PTI here today the convict, now in 'good' health, was being regularly checked by the jail doctors in his cell and given 'medical' diet as per the jail code.
Chatterjee, he said, still appeared calm and was speaking to wardens 'normally'.
"We have been giving him medical diet, meant for patients of jail hospitals, for the last three days as per the jail code", Chakraborty said, adding "the menu is fish, dal, vegetables and rice".
He has, however, not expressed 'wish' for any special food as yet, the IG said.
The convict has also not expressed any desire to meet any of his family members, residing at Chhatna in Bankura district.
The jail authorities, IG (Prisons) said "We are keeping watch on Chatterjee. He has not expressed any wish for anything, nor desired to meet any of his relatives."
The IG (prisons) denied press reports that some of the convicts, lodged in the jail, had jointly pleaded for granting clemency to Chatterjee.
Asked about the preparations for the hanging procedure, jail sources refused to divulge details, but said they were checking the noose, platform and the lever, while manila grass rope, required for tightening the noose, was being kept ready.
"Jailor, doctor and magistrate and other staff members, whose presence is required, have been duly informed of the time of execution", they said.
Chatterjee's execution was fixed on early Friday (June 25) after his clemency petition was rejected by the state Governor and the President.
The Supreme Court, earlier upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict, sentencing Chatterjee to death in January 1994 for rape and murder of Hetal Parekh on March 5, 1990 in a flat in the city's Bhawanipore area.
Chatterjee's family members, including his father, mother and wife, staged a sit-in in front of Press Club in Kolkata on Monday begging mercy for him and held out threats of committing mass suicide "if our appeals are rejected".
Some city intellectuals, including film-makers Mrinal Sen and Aparna Sen, litterateurs Mahasveta Devi and Narayan Sanyal, dramatist Bibhas Chakraborty and historian Gautam Bhadra, also appealed to the President under the banner of Association for Protection of Democratic Rights to commute Chatterjee's death sentence in the light of international human rights ideals.
