Amroha| The hanging of the first woman after independence in the country is currently deferred for a few days. Shabnam’s death warrant killing 7 people of her family together with her lover could not be issued. District government advocate Mahavir Singh said that the report from Rampur Jail has revealed that Shabnam advocate has filed a re-consideration mercy petition before the governor. He also sent a copy of this to the Amroha session court. A report has been sent to the District Judge in this regard. Now further action will be taken only after the disposal of the reconsideration petition. A death warrant cannot be issued until a mercy petition is decided.
The mercy petition filed by the Shabnam advocate with the Governor has become his shield. Until the disposal of this petition, his death warrant will not be issued. The death warrant was not issued on Tuesday based on the copy of the petition sent to the Amroha Sessions Court by the Rampur Jail administration. The court has reserved its decision in this regard.
Shabnam will not be hanged to death on 15 April 2008 in the village of Bawankheri in Hasanpur in Amroha district, along with her lover Salim, who put the parents, two brothers, sister-in-law, her sister and innocent nephew to death. On July 15, 2010, Salim and Shabnam were sentenced to death by the Amroha Sessions Court. After that, the High Court and Supreme Court also upheld the punishment of both.
Even his mercy petition was rejected by the President. The two then filed a review petition in the Supreme Court again. The Supreme Court dismissed Shabnam’s plea and sent an order for execution to the Rampur jail administration, while Salim’s reconsideration petition is still pending.
After getting the order of the Supreme Court, the Rampur Jail administration sent a report to Amroha Sessions Court for issuing the death warrant. In this order, the death court was to be issued to the sessions court on Tuesday 23 February. The sessions court sought a report from the prosecution officer regarding the Shabnam case. Meanwhile, on Friday, Supreme Court advocate Rajiv Jain reached Rampur Jail and gave him an application to file a reconsideration mercy petition by the Governor on behalf of Shabnam. A copy of it was sent to the session’s court by the jail administration.
Shabnam advocates have cited three points from the governor seeking a stay on the death penalty. Son, along with son Taj, has sought to convert the sentence into life imprisonment by making Sonia of Haryana a case. Shabnam’s mercy petition has been sent to the Governor on behalf of Supreme Court advocate Rajiv Jain.
In this regard, Shabnam advocate Shamsher Saifi said, “We have made the ground of raising her son as well as Sonia case of Haryana, not yet hanging any woman in the country.”
Seven people of his own family were killed by Shabnam, daughter of Master Shaukat Ali, along with lover Salim on the night of 14-15 April 2008 at village Bawankhedi in Hasanpur police station area of Amroha district. The victims of the murder were Shabnam’s father Shaukat Ali, mother Hashmi, brothers Anees and Rashid, sister-in-law Anjum, his sister Rabia, whose throats were cut with an ax, while Shabnam’s innocent nephew Arsh was strangled to death.
