Kolkata: Even as fresh efforts were afoot to move the apex Court as a last resort to save death-row convict Dhananjoy Chatterjee, the West Bengal Government today (Aug 9, 2004) said it had set the process of his execution in motion.

Jail Minister Biswanath Chowdhury held a high-level meeting with Law minister Nisith Adhikary, Home Secretary A K Deb, Judicial Secretary S K Chakraborty to discuss the process of execution of Chatterjee, but the date was yet to fixed.

"We have reviewed all aspects of execution of Dhananjoy Chatterjee and examined concerned laws to infer that there is no legal obstacle in hanging the convict," Chowdhury said.

To a question, the Minister said that Chatterjee, convicted for the rape and murder of a 15 year old school girl Hetal Parekh, was in good health 'as of now' and he had asked the jail department to set the process of hanging in motion.

He said that as part of the process, a magistrate and a doctor would have to be selected to be present at the time of execution, besides the convict's family has to be informed of the date of hanging. The gallows also has to be thoroughly checked.

Chowdhury said that a mock execution was done during the day. He did not elaborate.

He told a questioner that the State Government had decided to give appointment to hangman Nata Mullick's grandson Prabhat.