NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court, in an order on Sunday midnight, stayed the death penalty of Surender Koli, convicted of killing young children in Noida. Koli was scheduled to be hanged on Monday morning.
Justice H L Dattu passed the late-night order from home, on a petition by Koli’s lawyer Indira Jaising seeking review of his death sentence.
The lawyers sought review of the apex court’s July 24, 2014, order dismissing the plea to stay the execution of death sentence awarded to Nithari rapist-cum-serial killer Koli.
While seeking stay of execution of the capital punishment, Jaising, along with advocate Yug Choudhary and others, referred to the September 2 verdict of the court in which it had held that the review plea of condemned prisoners must be given an open court hearing.
Koli’s petition could be the first to be heard in an open court by three judges.