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Their hanging, however, has been deferred till October 12 allowing them to challenge the High Court judgment before the Supreme Court.
The two killers, Jasbir Singh and Vikram Walia had moved the High Court challenging their death sentence, which has already been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The two were to be hanged on October 5. To delay their hanging, the duo had moved the High Court taking a legal ground that death awarded to them under section 364-A of the Indian Penal Code (killing for ransom) is not legally tenable.
The petitioners took the ground that section 364-A of IPC deals with offences committed against a state government or Central government and not against a private individual.
Counsels for Punjab, Haryana and Central government had opposed the petition filed by the duo and had averred that death sentence be awarded to the two killers.
Dismissing the petition filed by the two, the High Court gave a go ahead for the hanging of the two. However, the hanging has been ordered to be put in abeyance till October 12 so that the two can challenge the HC order before apex court by October 12.
The two convicts had abducted Abhi Verma, son of a goldsmith from Hoshiarpur, for ransom. A Hoshiarpur Court had awarded death to three accused, including one Sonia, whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court last year. However, the apex court had upheld the hanging of Walia and Singh.
