As the old proverb goes, “the hangman’s rope supports the hanged”, the executioner knows no matter how well he ties the noose, he’s no friend to the convict. It is one of the strangest, the most emotionally taxing jobs in the world. How’s life being an Indian hangman? What do they tell their wives when they ask “Honey, how was your day?”, Do they reply, “I hanged a sex offender to death today – put a cloth over his head, pulled the lever, and watched him come to rest like a lifeless pendulum!”? Let’s find out more about them. Kasab’s hangman didn’t know who he was about to hang Not only was the identity of Kasab’s executioner kept under wraps, apparently, the hangman, himself was kept in dark about the identity of the convict. As he waited at the Yerwada Jail, all he was told that a very high profile convict was being brought in. Kasab was taken to an isolated cell guarded by the ITBP personnel. It was only some minutes before the execution that the hangman came to know about the real identity of the convict brought in to be sent to the gallows by him.

The hangman who keeps his profession a secret

In the Muslim quarters of Lucknow, lives the white bearded Ahmadulla, who had always lived the life of an executioner since the baton was passed from his father to him in 1965. However, the man prefers to keep his professional identity a secret among his neighbors for he fears that he would not remain a respectable member of the society if people came to know about his means of earning a living.

Proud of his skills to put a man to sleep as painlessly as possible, Ahmadulla favors death penalty for terrorists and unpardonable, uncorrectable criminals. However, he had accounted of hanging a man who, until his last anguished breath, had kept on denying the charges brought against him. Ahmadulla doesn’t see much in the profession and he’s resolute that he’d be the last hangman in his family.

The retired executioner who lived through life-threats

Apparently, Arjun Bhika Jadhav, was quite reluctant to carry out his job as an executioner. He was very remorseful of his deeds and he finally retired in 1995. In a matter of time, nobody had any idea where Jadhav was because he has been running from one village to another every month for years. He had no option but to move around with his family as he faced constant life threats.

However, 14 years after his retirement, he came back to express his desire to be allowed to execute Kasab. Although, he was facing financial difficulties as well as health issues, he offered to do the job free of cost.