Veerappan aides' fate still hanging

[1]

Belgaum: With the clamour for commuting the death sentence awarded to the four associates of Veerappan increasing, their fate remains uncertain with the government deciding not to hurry with the execution.
The clemency petitions of Gnanprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran were rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee earlier this month and the jail authorities at Hindalga prison in Belgaum had even made all preparations to carry out the execution on Sunday.
But now, it seems unlikely that they may be hanged even on Monday after the Supreme Court on Saturday refused an urgent hearing on their plea seeking a stay on the execution of their death penalty, saying there was no proof that they would be hanged on Sunday.
Besides preparing the four physically and mentally fit to face the gallows, the prison authorities even got a final medical test on the four done late on Saturday night.
According to Dr Vasant Yamakanmardi, medical officer at Hindalga Prison Hospital, Gnanprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran underwebt  all medical tests and were found to be fit. He said their impending execution had not made any impact on their mental state. “The four are quite normal and are ready to face their end”, he said.
Officials at Hindalga Central Prison continue to be tight-lipped over the issue. A source, however, said a senior jail official had gone to Mysore to finalise with the date of hanging again with the local court. “The officer is expected to be back at Hindalga prison with the papers on Monday evening. It means the hanging will not take place before Wednesday under any circumstance”, he added.
Meanwhile, senior advocate from the Goa High Court, Shanti Fonseca told Deccan Chronicle that she is ready with her application to be submitted before the Supreme Court where she would appeal to stay the hanging of the four men.
“The prison officials had 14 days at their disposal after receiving the copy of the rejection of their clemency petition. Fortunately, for the four inmates, February 17 was the 14th day and they cannot be hanged after that. This will be one my contentions in the court to save the four from the gallows”, Shanti Fonseca said.