By Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan

New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS): In last three decades, since 1991, 16 convicts have been hanged to death in India including Dhananjoy Chatterjee - for rape and murder of 14-year-old school girl, Yakub Memon and Afzal Guru.

In last 20 years, four people were hanged to death out of which only Dhanajoy Chatterjee was charged of rape and murder of a school girl while the other three were terrorists.

The execution of Chatterjee took place in Alipore Central Correctional Home, Kolkata, on August 14, 2004. It took 14 years to execute him. He was charged of rape and murder of Hetal Parekh, a 14-year-old school girl on March 5, 1990.

Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani militant and the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai attacks, was the second person who was executed on November 21, 2012 in Yerawada Central Jail, Pune. He was convicted for murder, conspiracy and waging war. It took 4 years to execute him.

Then on February 9, 2013, it was Kashmiri terrorist Afzal Guru who was hanged to death in Tihar jail. He was convicted for attacks on Parliament on December 13, 2001. It took 11 years to execute Guru. After the execution of Guru, no execution has been done in Tihar jail.

After Guru, on July 30, 2015, Yakub Memon was executed in Nagpur Central jail for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts. It took 22 years for the execution of Memon.

This will be for the first time in the history of independent India that four convicts will be hanged in the gallows site in Jail No. 3 of the capital's Tihar Jail complex on January 22 after a Delhi court issued death warrants for them on Tuesday.