CJI no to urgent hearing on Veerappan aides' mercy petition

NEW DELHI: The Chief Justice of India on Saturday refused to give an urgent hearing to four Veerappan aides whose mercy pleas were rejected by the president recently.

Their lawyer Colin Gonsalves had sought an urgent hearing, saying their execution was scheduled for Sunday. But the court said there was no proof of immediate execution and said the plea would come up in due course.

Death row convicts can be hung anytime after their mercy pleas are rejected. The Belgaum jail authorities have alredy been informed of this. They now have to get a black warrant from the nearest court to hang the convicts. The four, Gnanaprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran, are convicted of setting off a landline blast in Palar, Karnataka, killing 22 policemen. Their mercy petitions had been pending with the president since 2004.