Dhananjoy's brother makes last minute plea to SC

Vikas Chatterjee on Wednesday made a last-minute plea before the Supreme Court to stay the execution of his brother.

The West Bengal government scheduled the hanging of Dhananjoy Chatterjee, convicted of raping and murdering a 14-year-old girl in her Kolkata home, on August 14 after President A P J Abdul Kalam rejected his mercy plea.

Also Read President Kalam rejects Dhananjoy's petition Dhananjoy hanging: August 14, 0430 IST

Vikas Chatterjee's counsel Colin Gonsalves placed his plea before a bench headed by Justice N Santosh Hegde, which directed the matter be listed on Thursday before an appropriate bench.

The petitioner said the inordinate delay in the execution had had a big effect on Dhananjay and it should be a consideration for commuting the death sentence into life imprisonment.

The applicant also said his brother's conviction was based on circumstantial evidence.