Meet the hangman who will execute Nirbhaya rape convicts

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh): A hangman from Meerut, who is likely to hang those convicted in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case on Tuesday said that he is ready and waiting for the order to perform the execution.

"I am ready to hang the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. However, nobody from jail administration has contacted me yet. If I receive the order, I will definitely go," Pawan Jallad, who has been a hangman for generations, told reporters here.

I come from the family of executioners. I don't need much practice. I will only have to inspect the noose and the execution place once, see the measurement of the convicts and prepare myself for the execution.

- Pawan Jallad

He said that he was asked to be ready to hang the four convicts in the case last month.

"I am preparing myself for 22 (January). They (officials) have told me, in any of these coming days, maybe, by the day after tomorrow or so, they would take me from here to Tihar. I have to reach much earlier as we have to do a lot of rehearsals to ensure everything goes smoothly on the day of hanging," said Pawan, the fourth generation Jallad of the Laxman Kumar family in Meerut's Bhumiyapull area.

"It will really give a great sigh of relief to me, to Nirbhaya's parents and to everyone else in the country when these convicts are hanged. These kinds of people should be hanged," he said.

"I have said earlier also that the execution in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder should happen as early as possible. If the government had expedited on executing the hanging of the Nirbhaya case convicts, the Hyderabad case might not have happened," said Pawan.

"I come from the family of executioners. I don't need much practice. I will only have to inspect the noose and the execution place once, see the measurement of the convicts and prepare myself for the execution," added Pawan.

Pawan said that he can hang all four accused at once if required.

He said I am the fourth generation after my great grandfather (Lakshman Jallad), grandfather (Kalu Ram Jallad) and father Mammu Jallad. I leant the execution from them only. "It is not an easy job. It is a job which has a lot of responsibilities because on mistake of the hangman can put the convict in more pain," Pawan said.

For the first time, Pawan executed a hanging at Patiala Central Jail with his grandfather, when he hanged two brothers. Pawan, who has executed five hangings with his grandfather till now, said: "When I executed my first hanging with my grandfather, I was 20-22 year old now I am 58."

Pawan said that he is happy to know that there are all the possibilities that he will only execute the hangings of the Nirbhaya case convicts. He is also happy that despite being executing the hangings for whole of his life he remained poor.

Asked about the payment by the government for hanging the convicts of Nirbhaya case, Pawan Jallad explains: "For every execution, a hangman gets Rs 25,000. As there are four death row convicts (in Nirbhaya case) so I would get Rs 1 lakh. It's a big reward. Earlier my grandfather Kaluram (aka Kallu) used to be paid only Rs 200 per hanging. I remember in 1989, I went to Agra Central Jail to execute the death row convict of a rape and murder case. I tied the feet of the convict while my grandfather pulled the rope. We got only Rs 200 for this execution."

"My daughter is grown up. But I have no money to marry her off. My ancestral house is in dilapidated condition but I have no funds for repairs. I am already in debt and hounded by lenders. Believe me, this money (Rs 1 lakh) gives me a new lease of life."

Pawan's father Mammu Jallad was also a well-known hangman in north India, he claims.

He says that his father and grandfather executed the hanging of Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh, convicted in assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and also recalls names of several other infamous death row convicts whose hanging was executed by Kallu or Mammu.

Pawan also clarified that the common perception about hangmen being alcoholics is wrong. "Believe me, I have never taken alcohol. I do not drink though people say that before executing any hanging we first get drunk. It's a lie. We are sober and restrained when we pull the ropes. It's our job," he said.

Delhi's Patiala House court said that all four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya case will be hanged on January 22. The convicts - Pawan Kumar Gupta, Akshay, Vinay, and Mukesh - will be hanged at 7 am.

Six men had gang-raped a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in the national capital on December 16, 2012. The victim later succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment.

The main accused, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail during the trial. Another accused was a minor at the time of the commission of the crime and was sent to a reform facility and released after three years.