Four convicts put in separate Tihar cells

NEW DELHI: Soon after a Delhi court issued death warrants  in the Nirbhaya gang-rape-cum murder case, all the four convicts on Tuesday were put into  separate cells in the Tihar Jail to ensure they do not interact with other prisoners till they are executed on January 22.

A senior jail official said that all the four convicts will be executed at 7 am in Jail No 3. At present,  one of the convicts has been lodged in Jail No. 4 while others are in Jail No. 2.

Sources said that the Jail authorities are in touch with a Meerut-based hangman, who is expected to carry out the execution of the convicts.

Meerut prison  superintendent V. P. Pandey said that he is yet to receive any communication from the Tihar authorities on whether hangman  Pawan Jallad  has been shortlisted for the  execution of the Nirbhaya convicts. “In December last year, we got a letter from Tihar to keep Prahlad ready. But we have not received any fresh communication in this regard.  The death  warrants were issued only on Tuesday evening. So we are expecting to get the request letter on Wednesday,” Mr Pandey said.

A Tihar official said that the  ropes called Manila made by prisoners of Buxar jail will be used.

Asked why only Buxar jail ropes would be used, he said, “This is just  a tradition.”