Supreme Court stays death penalty of couple who killed 7

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the execution of death sentence of a young woman and her lover convicted for killing seven members of her family, including a 10-month-old baby, in Uttar Pradesh in 2008. [caption id=“attachment_2261242” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Supreme Court. Reuters[/caption] A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and U U Lalit issued notice to UP government seeking its response and posted the matter for further hearing on 27 May. The warrant for execution of the death sentence of Shabnam and her lover Saleem was issued on 21 May. The Supreme Court on 1 May had upheld the conviction and death penalty of the couple and later on 15 May delivered a detailed judgement for dismissing the appeal filed by the convicts. Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for Shabnam, asked the court that the matter be heard before any final decision is taken for executing the death penalty. In 2013, Allahabad High Court had upheld the death sentence to the couple awarded by a sessions court in 2010. Saleem and Shabnam were having an affair and wanted to get married but their relationship met with stiff opposition from the woman’s family. On 15 April, 2008, Shabnam’s entire family, including a 10-month-old baby, was murdered and the woman initially pretended that her house in Amroha district of UP was attacked by unidentified assailants. It came to light during investigation that she had abetted Saleem in the crime as she made her family members drink milk laced with sedatives before the attack and thereafter herself throttled her infant nephew. PTI