For the first time in the history of independent India, a woman prisoner will be hanged till death for a rare crime she was found guilty of. Shabnam, who lives in Amroha, will be hanged to death in Uttar Pradesh’s only single female hangout in Mathura.
The jail administration has started preparations to hang the woman in Mathura jail. Shabman joined hands with his lover Salim to kill 7 of her own family members with an axe in April 2008. It is learnt that Mathura jail administration has already ordered the rope used for hanging death row convicts.
People in the small village of Bawankhedi, which is located adjacent to the Hasanpur town of Amroha, still remember the gruesome incident which took place on the intervening night of April 14-15, 2008. It was on this day when Shabnam, along with his lover Salim, killed hes father Master Shaukat, mother Hashmi, brothers Anees and Rashid, sister-in-law Anjum and his sister Rabia with an axe. Shabnam had also killed her nephew Arsh by strangulating him. Shabnam killd all these family members as they were becoming obstacles in the path of her love affair with Salim
Shabnam is currently behind bars at Bareilly, while Salim is lodged in Agra Jail.
In this case, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Shabnam. The President has also rejected her mercy petition. In case the authorities proceed with the hanging, Shabnam will be the first female prisoner to be hanged after Independence.
According to the jail superintendent, Pawan Jallad (executioner) has inspected the hanging house twice and has asked to make some improvements in the lever and the board to be used in hanging. Rope is being brought for hanging from Buxar.