Tihar Jail asked Uttar Pradesh to provide two hangmen at short notice, an official said
The hangman at Meerut jail in Uttar Pradesh has said he is ready to carry out the execution of the convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case. Pawan Jallad, a third-generation hangman, said his grandfather had carried out the hanging of the two men involved in the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, besides criminals Ranga and Billa.
"I am ready to carry out the execution if asked by the jail administration," said Pawan Jallad, referring to the officials at Meerut jail.
Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General (Prisons) Anand Kumar said Delhi's Tihar Jail has sent out a request for hangmen. "Tihar Jail had asked Uttar Pradesh to provide two hangmen at short notice, but since one of them in Lucknow is unwell, the other one in Meerut has been asked to remain prepared," he said.
Mr Jallad, 55, said he is not aware of the identity of the convicts to be hanged, but added he might be required to hang those convicts. Though he has not yet got any instructions from the Meerut jail administration, he said he is ready to go to Tihar Jail on 24-hour notice.
Mr Pawan said his father and grandfather were also hangmen. "My grandfather Kallu Jallad and father Babbu Jallad had done this job. I personally helped my grandfather in five executions," Mr Pawan said, adding he accompanied his grandfather to Patiala, Allahabad, Agra and Jaipur in the past to carry out executions.
He said the actual preparation for a hangman's job is undertaken two to three hours before an execution early in the morning. Mr Jallad said he feels no pressure as he will be executing those who had carried out the most terrible crimes.
However, he said he was not happy with his work. "It becomes difficult to get employment at other places due to the job. Earlier, we got only Rs 3,000 in wages, which was increased to Rs 5,000 after lots of efforts. Who can run the household with this meagre sum?" he said.
The four convicts in the Nirbhaya case - Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh and Vinay Sharma - are on the death row for two years.