Before end came: Sleepless night, plea for forgiveness

Somreet Bhattacharya & Sakshi Chand TNN

New Delhi  21.03.2020

: 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, Pawan kept asking for forgiveness from the jailers pleading to let him go, while Mukesh withdrew into himself.

On Thursday night, Mukesh and Vinay had rice, dal and vegetables for dinner, while Akshay 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 Pawan and Akshay didn’t say anything, while Mukesh gave a written note to the DM asking to donate his organs. Vinay 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. 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, Vinay broke down and pleaded with the jail officials to let him go. He refused to wear the clothes. Mukesh, Pawan and Akshay asked the officials to allow them to meet Vinay, 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.

Full report on www.toi.in

LAW PREVAILS: Ambulances carrying bodies of the convicts from Tihar Jail to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for a postmortem in New Delhi on Friday