SC stays hanging of two convicts who killed four people

New Delhi, Oct 13 (UNI) The Supreme Court today stayed till further order the hanging of Gurvail Singh alias Gala and Judge Singh facing death sentence for the cold blooded murder of four members of a family, including two children, in Amritsar.

The two convicts were scheduled to be hanged in Amritsar jail on October 16, 2006.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhan and Dalveer Bhandari also admitted the appeal of the two convicts and issued notices to the state of Punjab.

The two convicts were sentenced to death for the offence they had committed in 2000 and their death sentence was confirmed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The two petitioners could not file appeal in the Supreme Court due to poverty and illiteracy and the present petition has been filed in the Apex Court with the help of Amritsar police administration.

Black warrants were signed by the trial judge concerned after the High Court judgement confirming death sentence became final due to non filing of appeal by the two.

Inspired by the hue and cry being raised by political leaders including J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Human Right Organisations against death sentence awarded to Parliament attack case convict Mohammed Afzal, who was to be hanged on October 20, 2006, Amritsar police helped the two on humanitarian grounds in approaching this court to enable them to fight the last round of legal battle for survival.

UNI AKS/SC SK RP HT1732