Before end came: Sleepless night, cries for forgiveness

TNN | Mar 21, 2020, 04.41 AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Nirbhaya case convicts – Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta – had a sleepless night. When the clock struck 3.30am on Friday, they were taken out of their solitary cells in jail number 3 to be prepared for execution.

The quartet kept asking whether a new order had been passed by any court across the country. Through the night, Gupta kept asking for forgiveness from the jailers pleading to let him go, while Singh withdrew into himself.

On Thursday night, Singh and Sharma had rice, dal and vegetables for dinner, while Thakur had a cup of tea. They were offered breakfast, but they refused. They didn’t take a bath and refused to wear the clothes given by the jail authorities.

Around 4.30am, district magistrate Neha Bansal read them the order to execute the death sentence. She met them individually to ask for their last wish. Sources said Gupta and Thakur didn’t say anything, while Singh gave a written note to the DM asking to donate his organs. Sharma requested that his ‘paintings’ be given to the jail superintendent and his copy of Hanuman Chalisa and an image of God to his parents.

A medical examination was conducted during which the jail doctors measured their weight and checked their vitals to declare them fit for hanging. In the meanwhile, the hangman, Pawan Jallad, prepared the nooses made with manila ropes and softened with bananas and butter.

After the DM’s visit, the convicts were allowed to remain alone for some time to remember their family and loved ones. Jail officials then went to their cells and asked them to wear white cotton clothes. This time, Sharma broke down and pleaded with the jail officials to let him go. He refused to wear the clothes. Singh, Gupta and Thakur asked the officials to allow them to meet Sharma, but their request was rejected.

A team of jail officials, including the superintendent, deputy superintendent, wardens and Tamil Nadu special police officers, helped the convicts wear the clothes and then each of them were escorted by six security personnel to the hanging well.

Sources said Sharma refused to accompany the jail staffers and lay down outside his cell. He had to be carried by the wardens into the well. Before entering the well, their faces were covered with a black cloth so that they didn’t get a glimpse of the gallows.

The jail authorities had requisitioned for armed guards from Delhi Police to be present near the gallows. The condemned men were walked to the platform where the hangman placed the noose around their neck. The men kept resisting till the noose was tightened.

At 5.30am, the superintendent signalled the hangman to pull the two levers holding the plate under their feet. The four men were suspended into the pit and became still after squirming for a short while, jail sources said. They were left in the position till 6am after which a doctor entered the well to confirm that they had died.

The bodies were removed and kept in the jail premises. Around 8am, the bodies were taken in four separate ambulances for autopsy at DDU Hospital. The family members were allowed to take the bodies after they gave a declaration that they would not hold protest marches. While the hangings were going on, the other prisoners at Tihar Jail were under lockdown. Instead of the usual time of 6.30am, they were allowed to start their daily routine half an hour late.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)