26 April 2005 :

Dhananjoy Chatterjee, an Indian man due to be hanged on August 14 for raping and murdering a schoolgirl, made a last-gasp appeal to the Supreme Court in a bid to escape the noose. A team of 20 lawyers drafted a petition appealing to the Supreme Court in New Delhi to stay the execution and order a review of the entire case, lawyer Joymalya Bagchi told AFP. 
"An appeal seeking a stay of the hanging of Dhananjoy has been filed by lawyer Colin Gonsalves before the Supreme Court," Bagchi said.
The lawyers argued that Chatterjee's conviction was based on circumstantial evidence and that crucial DNA testing of evidence was never carried out by police.
They argued further that the convict had spent 13 years on death row and that the "inordinate delay" in his execution had had a "mortal fear" effect on him -- which was punishment in itself -- and that the death sentence should be commuted to life imprisonment.
The Inspector General of Prisons, Joydeb Chakraborty, however, said preparations were being made for the hanging.
"Jail officials have already been instructed to make arrangements for clearing the rust off the gallows," he said. "Dhananjoy and his family have used up all options relating to the case."
Chakraborty added that hangman Nata Mallick, 83, had visited the jail and inspected the gallows.
Media reports said Mallick had been testing the gallows by using sandbags.