Surender Koli, a businessman’s domestic help sentenced to death for murdering Rimpa Haldhar from Noida’s Nithari village, has filed a mercy plea before President Pratibha Patil after he got a death warrant, a jail official said Monday.
The 39-year-old Nithari serial killer has begged for mercy after a court last week sent him a death warrant declaring that he would be executed between May 24 and 31.
‘He filed the mercy petition May 7,’ Dasna Jail Superintendent Vireshraj Sharma said.
‘Confined to a high-security cell, Koli these days is worshipping for four hours a day – two hours each in morning and evening. During the day, he prepares for his pending legal cases,’ added Sharma.
The death warrant was issued by Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge S. Lal May 3. The warrant said that Koli would be executed around 4 a.m. on any day between May 24 and May 31.
Out of the 19 serial killings in Nithari, Haldhar’s murder was the first case in which the CBI filed charge sheet against Koli.
In the case, Koli was sentenced to death. The death penalty was confirmed by the Allahabad High Court.
His employer and businessman M.S. Pandher was also named in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in Haldhar case.
The trial court had sentenced Pandher to death along with Koli Feb 13, 2009 but the high court reversed the judgment and acquitted him.
Koli’s death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court March 7 this year. He later filed a plea which is pending before court.
