Lodged in Ambala Central Jail for 19 years,an inmate on death row still waits for his fate to be decided as his mercy petition has laid pending for the past 12 years. Dharmpal,a resident of Sonepat,was sentenced to death in 1993 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on charge of murdering five people. The convict later filed a mercy appeal with the President which was forwarded to the Home Ministry and subsequently accepted in September 1999. The fortune of Dharmpal,however,still hangs in balance as no decision has been taken over his plea. After spending around 10 years in the condemned cell,Dharmpal was shifted to general barrack three years ago following Supreme Court order to shift all death row inmates whose mercy appeals were pending.
