Preparations underway ahead of scheduled execution of Nirbhaya convicts

As the hanging of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case is scheduled for the morning of March 20, Tihar Jail officials on Wednesday said that most of the arrangements for their executions have already been done.

"We had already inspected the gallows in December. The inspection was done by an executive engineer of PWD along with Tihar officials. It will be inspected again, on the evening before the execution," an official told ANI here.

He said that the ropes to be used for the execution were also tested during the inspection.

"A dummy sandbag weighing 1.5 times the weight of the convict was hanged to test the rope. Spare ropes are also kept just in case. A medical officer will report about the drop on the basis of which, the length of the drop will be decided," the officer said.

"After testing of the rope, other equipment will be securely locked and sealed in a steel box and will be kept under the supervision of the deputy superintendent," he added.

The official said that the superintendent, deputy superintendent, medical officer-in-charge, resident medical officer, district magistrate, ten constables or warders, and two head constables or head warders will be present during execution.

"A priest of convict's faith can also be allowed if the convicts need," he said.

He said that the superintendent will also check if there are any pending communications ahead of the execution, after which the officials will visit the cell of the convicts.

When the convicts come near the scaffold, which they are not allowed to see, they will be wearing a face mask. The superintend will then identify the convicts in front of the magistrate.

"It is only after a signal from the superintendent that the hangman will push the lever to release the trap-door. After the execution, the body will hang for 30 minutes. It will be taken down only after the resident medical officer confirms that life is extinct," he added.

According to the official, the body after the execution is disposed of as per the religion of the convict.

Mukesh Singh, Akshay Singh Thakur, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma were convicted for the gang-rape and brutalizing of a 23-year-old paramedical student in the national capital on the night of December 16, 2012. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.