(Image source from: Hindustantimes.com)

Singapore on Wednesday hanged an Indian-origin prisoner over a conspiracy to smuggle one kilogram of cannabis. Amid wide calls from United Nations Huma Rights Office and International Organisations to reconsider the execution, the Singaporean government even dismissed the last-minute reviewal petition from his family and executed a 46-year-old man to death at Changi Prison Complex.

Tangaraju Suppiah was convicted of abetting drug by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic of 1,017.9 grams of cannabis. This is double the minimum volume for a death sentence in Singapore. Singapore has one of the world's strict anti-drug laws and country's home affairs minister said that Tangaraju’s guilt was proven beyond any doubt.

Singapore resumed executions in March 2022, after a gap of two years. In a year span, Singapore executed 12 and Tangaraju was the first in the last six months. Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB)informed that Tangaraju’s clemency to Singapore President Halimah Yacob was unsuccessful.

The other two men related to Tangaraju’s case gave evidence against him and one among them was also carrying cannabis of 499.9 grams of the drugs- which is exactly 0.1 gram less for a death sentence. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane. The other person was discharged not amounting to acquittal.

World Human rights organizations are now mounting pressure on Singapore to consider the execution.

(Video Source: The Indian Express)