Shabnam, first woman to be hanged in independent India

In a first time in the history of Independent India, a woman Shabnam will be hanged to death.  She along with her lover Salim - both accused of killing seven members of Shabnam's family - were awarded death sentence by the sessions court and the Allahabad High Court.

The couple were convicted and awarded death sentence for the multiple murders by the sessions court and the Allahabad High Court before the Supreme Court upheld the verdict. Shabnam had filed a mercy petition before the President, which has now been turned down.

On April 15, 2008, Shabnam and Salim murdered the former's entire family in Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh. The duo was having an affair and wanted to get married. However, the woman's family was opposed to their marriage.

Shabnam made her family members drink milk laced with sedatives before killing them along with her lover. Seven members of the family, including a 10-month-old child, were then axed to death on the night of horror.

Meanwhile, Pawan Jallad, who had executed the four accused in the Nirbhaya case in March last year, will be executing Shabnam and Salim in Mathura jail, which houses the country's lone female execution room.