Kasab's execution second fastest in the country?

Ajmal Kasab's execution procedure is believed to be second quickest in the country after the case of Banswara-based Ramchandra alias Raoji who was executed within three years of murdering his family.

Documents received by activist Subhash Agrawal under RTI Act show that Raoji was executed on May 4, 1996, three years after killing five persons including his pregnant wife and three children on May 6, 1993.

He was awarded death sentence by the Sessions Court on December 5, 1994 which was upheld by Supreme Court through its decision dated December 5, 1996.

Raoji then approached the then President Shankar Dayal Sharma with the mercy plea but he rejected it on March 19, 1996 within six days of the petition being put before him. He was finally executed on May 4, 1996.

According to details of mercy petitions received by Agrawal, the execution of Raoji seemed to be quickest.

When compared, Kasab's case is believed to be the second fastest as he was executed nearly four years after his involvement in the most audacious terrorist attack on India.

"Out-of-turn decision on now-hanged Ajmal Kasab's mercy petition was need of the time. It is the second-most fastest decided mercy-petition in India, the first one being that of a poor young man Ravji alias Ram Chandra who was hanged to death in 1996 in less than three years of murdering his family in
the year 1993," Agrawal said.

He said abnormally high delay in deciding mercy petitions and also subsequent execution in case of rejection of mercy petitions, unnecessarily creates provocation including even state-assemblies passing resolutions for pardon on religious and regional grounds.