Karunanidhi calls for abolition of death penalty, says recent executions could have been avoided

Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Monday called for the abolition of death penalty. The leader issued a statement saying had the long-pending demand for the abolition of death penalty been obliged, executions happening now could have been avoided.

This comes after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the mercy plea of four associates of infamous forest brigand Veerappan. Following this, the Veerappan associates are likely to approach the Supreme Court seeking their death sentences to be commuted. The court had last weekend refused to hear an urgent plea from them.

Veerappan's elder brother Gnanaprakash, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah and Bilavendran were awarded death sentence in 2004 in connection with a landmine blast at Palar in Karnataka in 1993 in which 22 police personnel were killed.

This comes after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the mercy plea of four associates of infamous forest brigand Veerappan.

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