Five in Gujarat waiting for the gallows, ahead of Godhra’s 11

This might be true for 11 people who have been sentenced to death in the Godhra carnage case, as five other convicts from Gujarat are already waiting to be hanged as their applications are pending at different levels of justice system.

It may take many years for a convict — condemned to death — to be hanged as the order of capital punishment has to be confirmed by the high court, and the legal battle can go up to the Supreme Court. A convict can also make a mercy plea to the president.

“So far there are five different people from the state, who have been ordered to be hanged and their applications are pending in courts,” additional director-general of police (prisons) PC Thakur told DNA. However, sources said that the exact status of their applications was not known.

A police source said while a few of the five convicts were awaiting court orders, a few others might be awaiting a reply to their mercy petition. A source said that the President of India had received many mercy applications from across the country. In Gujarat, no convict has been hanged in the past 30 years. Popat Natha and Shashikant Mali from the Saurashtra were the last two persons to be hanged in the state, said sources.