Shabnam, Saleem killed seven for 'love'; UP Governor rejects their plea for mercy

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik has rejected mercy petition of Shabnam and her lover Saleem, convicted for killing seven members of her family including a 10-month-old baby in 2008, reports said on Wednesday.

Shabnam had petitioned the Governor saying that she should be granted mercy to take care of her 6-year-old son.

Meanwhile, Shabnam's mercy petition with the President is still pending.

Shabnam and Sallem are lodged in Moradabad and Agra jails respectively.

On 15 April, 2008, Shabnam's entire family, including a 10-month-old baby, was murdered with the woman initially pretending that her house in Amroha district of UP was attacked by unidentified assailants.

It came to light during investigation that she had abetted Saleem in the crime as she made her family members drink milk laced with sedatives before the attack and thereafter, herself throttled her infant nephew.

In 2013, Allahabad High Court had upheld the death sentence to the couple awarded by a sessions court in 2010.

The Supreme Court on 01 May, 2015 had upheld the conviction and death penalty of the couple and 14 days later, delivered a detailed judgement for dismissing the appeal filed by the convicts.

However, on 27 May, 2015, the apex court quashed the execution warrants of Shabnam and Saleem, saying it was issued "in haste" by giving a go-by to mandatory guidelines.

The SC said the Sessions Judge of Amroha issued the warrants for execution of death sentence on 21 May "in haste", just six days after confirmation of conviction and capital punishment, without waiting for mandatory 30 days to allow the convicts to avail judicial remedy of filing petitions for a review of the 15 May judgement.

The convicts, Shabnam and her lover Saleem, could also approach the Uttar Pradesh Governor with mercy petitions after exhausting the legal remedies, it had noted.