Bangalore: Karnataka today (Jul 8, 2004) recommended to Governor T N Chaturvedi to reject the mercy petition filed by three condemned associates of Veerappan praying for commuting their capital punishment to life imprisonment.

The State Cabinet at its meeting resolved to request the Governor to reject the mercy petition of Simon, Jananprakash and Meesekar Madaiah, who have been awarded death sentence by the Supreme Court, Minister for Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs M P Prakash told reporters.

With this decision, the noose has tightened further for the trio, the hard-core associates of forest bandit Veerappan, found guilty of killing 22 police personnel by detonating powerful landmine blast near Palar in early 1990s.

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court enhanced the life sentence imprisonment awarded by the Karnataka High Court to death sentence, considering the gravity of the offence committed by the convicted.

Official sources said according to procedure, mercy petition would have to be forwarded by the Governor to the President for his consideration.

An NGO has been taking up the cause of these convicts to save them from gallows and praying for modifying their sentence to life imprisonment.

Retired DYSP, Abdul Kareem the father of the slain Sub-Inspector of Police Shakeel Ahmed, who was killed by Veerappan gang has also been waging a legal battle, moving the Supreme Court for confirming the death sentence on the bandit's associates.