New Delhi/Belgaum, Feb 17: Four associates of slain sandalwood smuggler Veerappan - Simon, Gnanaprakash, Madaih and Bilavendra - are presently metres away from the hangman's noose inside Hindalga Central Jail of Belgaum, Karnataka, with the President having rejected their mercy petitions against death sentence.
On Saturday, the Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir, after ascertaining that there was no proof that the executions were scheduled for Sunday as was feared, directed that a writ petition to stay their execution be listed for hearing in due course in the Supreme Court.