A man, who was to be sent to the gallows on Friday for raping and killing his minor niece, got relief from the Supreme Court which on Thursday stayed his imminent execution while agreeing to hear his appeal against conviction and the death sentence imposed on him.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, before which the matter was mentioned on Thursday morning by convict Rajkumar’s counsel who pleaded for an urgent hearing, agreed to entertain the appeal and issued notice to concerned authorities directing them not to carry out the hanging.