SC refuses to hear Veerappan associates' plea against death penalty

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Saturday declined to hear the review plea filed by the four associates of infamous forest brigand Veerappan against their death penalty. The SC, while rejecting the plea, said there was no proof the hanging would take place on Sunday.

The four associates had moved the apex court earlier on Saturday seeking a review of their death penalty. Their mercy petitions had been recently rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee. The four, 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.

A Mysore court had awarded life term to the four. But the Karnataka government appealed against the life term and filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court awarded them the death sentence in January 2004. Their mercy pleas had been pending since 2004.

The SC, while rejecting the plea, said there was no proof the hanging would take place on Sunday.

The four are presently lodged in a jail in Belgaum in Karnataka. Gang leader Veerappan was killed in an encounter with the Tamil Nadu police in October 2004.

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