Lease of life for couple convicted in Relu Ram killing

Ambala, Nov 26 (UNI) The daughter and son-in-law of former MLA Relu Ram, convicted for killing him along with seven other family members, got a lease of life for some time after their execution fixed for today was postponed with their mercy appeal to the President still pending.

The young couple, Sonia and her husband Sanjiv, had made a mercy appeal to the President after their death penalty was confirmed by the Supreme Court.

Their mercy appeal was received by the office of the President on February 16, 2007. Till the decision of the mercy appeal, both will remain in the condemned cells in seclusion.

The couple had expressed desire for a meeting on the eve of November 26, the date of their execution, but the authorities turned down the request due to jail code.

According to sources, the jail authorities were facing some technical problems with regard to execution, the main hurdle being that of non-availability of a hangman.

The apex court had confirmed the death sentence of Sonia and Sanjiv on February 16 and death warrants were issued by the Hissar court. Signatures of both the accused were sought for execution of the death penalty.

Two other convicts facing death penalty are lodged in the central jail here.

One of the two, Dharampal of Sonipat district, convicted of killing five people, was convicted in the year 1997. His appeal made in 1999, is lying with the President while he is confined in the condemned cell.

The other, Surinder of Jind district, also to be hanged for murdering five people, was living in condemned cell as his case was pending with Punjab and Haryana High Court.

UNI