Over a dozen inmates of a jail in Bihar are eagerly waiting for the much sought demand to prepare a hangman's noose, made of the famous 'manila' rope, to hang Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab after the Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the death sentence of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks convict.
Buxar jail in Bihar is the only jail in the country that has expertise in manufacturing wax-coated manila rope, which can withstand the tension caused by the fall of a convict after the execution.
"We are expecting a demand for a hangman's noose to hang Kasab from the concerned department of Maharashtra government. So far, no such demand has been made" Ambashth added.
According to jail officials, Buxar jail inmates only weave such ropes in 17 sizes, of which only two of the finest are used for hangings.
"A hangman's noose is never crafted and kept but fashioned only when a demand is made for it. The Buxar jail has 12 to 15 prisoners who craft the ropes on a permanent basis," he said.
The jail official added that manufacturing a manila rope is a tedious affair.
Authorities of Buxar jail had sent a consignment of manila rope to New Delhi's Tihar jail in 2005, after Parliament attack convict Mohammed Afzal Guru was awarded the death sentence. However, the rope was never used as Afzal Guru's mercy petition is still pending before the President.
The manila rope was used in 2004 to hang Dhananjay Chatterjee, who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a teenager, at Alipore Jail in Kolkata. No convict on death row has been hanged in India since 2004.
