Guilty of murdering 7 family members, UP’s Shabnam may become first woman to be hanged in Independent India

 

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district jail is said to have begun preparations for the hanging a female convict, found guilty of hacking to death seven members of her family with her lover.

Notably, the convicted Shabnam will be the first woman to be hanged in the country after Independence.

While Shabnam and her lover Salim have been awarded with the death penalty the date of their hanging is yet to be decided.

Shabnam, a resident of Amroha holding a double MA (English and Geography) was in a relationship with Salim, a Class VI dropout who worked at a wood sawing unit near their house.

As her family was against their relationship, Shabnam, on April 14, 2008 mixed sedatives in the drinks of her parents, two brothers, sister-in-law, cousin and her ten-month-old nephew and later alongwith Salim hacked them to death with an axe.

While Shabnam initially misled the police by concocting a robbery story, the cops zeroed in on the duo and arrested them on April 19, 2008. A local court had awarded them with capital punishment for the cold-blooded murder.

They challenged the judgment in the Supreme Court which upheld the decision of the lower court. Shabnam and Salim also sent a mercy petition to the President, but their pleas were rejected.

According to sources, Pawan Jallad, who had hanged the killers of Nirbhaya, had visited the Mathura jail twice in the past few months.

An order has been placed to procure the rope for this purpose, as per sources.