Meerut: Nithari serial killings convict Surinder Koli, who was to be hanged this morning, appeared less tense after he was informed about the Supreme Court’s stay on his execution for a week though he did not show much emotion, jail officials said.
In a decision taken in the wee hours today, the Supreme Court stayed the execution of Koli for killing children in a house in Nithari village in Noida in 2006.
Koli was to be hanged early this morning in Meerut jail, where he has been kept in a high-security barrack.
Jail Superintendent S H M Rizvi said the prison authorities were communicated about the Supreme Court decision around 4 AM today.
“We had prepared for Koli’s execution, but then district administration informed us about the SC’s decision. The jail authorities will now act upon further orders,” he said.
Prison sources said Koli did not show much emotion after the news was broken to him, but he seemed “less tense”.
A SC bench comprising justices H L Dattu and A R Dave stayed Koli’s execution for a period of one week.
An official of the apex court said that the plea in this regard was mentioned before the bench after midnight and the order was passed at 1:40 AM.
The application on behalf of 42-year-old Koli was moved by a team of lawyers led by senior advocate Indira Jaising.
The lawyers sought review of the apex court’s July 24, 2014 order dismissing the plea to stay the execution of death sentence awarded to Nithari rapist-cum-serial killer Koli.
While seeking stay of execution of the capital punishment, Jaising, along with advocate Yug Choudhary and others, referred to the September 2 verdict of the apex court in which it had held that the review plea of condemned prisoners must be given an open court hearing.
