Pawan Jallad, the hangman who has caught sudden limelight after the hangings for the four accused of the Nirbhaya case were announced by the Apex court, was just an ordinary poor man striving to earn a living for his family of nine members until now.

Between all the media glare and sudden fame which Pawan Jallad has received, the harsh reality remains that he would still be the same poor father of seven children who, in spite of serving the society in his own way and carrying forward the very different family profession of being a state executioner, the Jallad in its fourth generation.

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Poverty is what Pawan has inherited from his forefathers. Pawan’s grandfather, the iconic Kallu Jallad, used to get Rs 1000 per month from the jail authorities and Rs 500 per hanging with a complimentary bottle of liquor.

The situation has not changed much as Pawan is now getting Rs 3000 per month as a stipend. “I have raised my demand before the jail authorities asking for Rs 20000 per month but after some persuasion, it has been finalised to Rs 5000,” he told adding that this money is hardly of any help to raise a family of nine members.

Pawan is a father of seven children including five daughters of whom four are married. His elder son is pursuing graduation in commerce while the younger one is in class 12th. The Jallad is reluctant in disclosing the identities of his children as he is not convinced how the society would accept them.

But to raise a family of nine he needs to work more to raise some extra money for the family. “I sell articles mainly blankets bedsheets, clothes etc.”, he said adding that he goes on a pheri on a bicycle across the city and sell things door to door. “I buy the stuff from wholesale shops and then sell it at a reasonable price that brings extra earning for the family. Not only Meerut, but Pawan also sells these stuff at Hapur, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Bulandshahr and nearby areas. “People recognise me as a pheriwala and not as a Jallad,” he said.

“I am a poor person and need to make an extra earning for the family,” he said adding further that nowadays, however, he is unable to go out for selling clothes because he has been preparing for the hangings. “Jail authorities frequently call me and also media persons so I am not getting time to go out for selling clothes,” he stated.

Pawan suddenly shot to fame after the court issued a death sentence to the accused of Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case and Pawan was given the task of executing capital punishment.

“This is my first hanging though I used to travel with my grandfather on his hangings,” he told adding that his grandfather “Kaluram” was his real guru from whom he learnt the art of hanging. After his grandfather, Pawan’s father Mammo Singh stepped into his father’s shoes and became a Jallad. Of his six brothers, Pawan was the one who took forward the family tradition and became a Jallad.

Kallu Jallad had carried out some very talked-about hangings like that of assassins of late PM Indira Gandhi (Satwant and Beant Singh), Ranga and Billa (Sanjay-Geeta Chopra case ) etc. Pawan said, “I was 23 when I got involved with my grandfather during preparations of hanging and accompanied with him to Jaipur, Agra and Allahabad jails in the year 1988 for the hangings.

Now Pawan on his own will carry out the much-awaited hangings of the four killers and rapists of Nirbhaya.

“They did a heinous crime against a woman and hence got capital punishment. I too am a father of five daughters and could feel the pain. I am capable enough to hang all four of them alone,” says Pawan.

Pawan is a God-fearing man who frequently visits temples and worships Goddess Kali and Lord Hanuman. He keeps himself away from things like liquor and has cordial relations with people in his neighbourhood. He resides in the Kashiram Colony of the city and behaves like any other common resident. “I am a Jallad only while I am hanging,” he stated.

Pawan, however, demands respect and financial security to his family and rues that a judge who issues death warrant gets respect in the society and financial security but a Jallad who executes his order is looked down upon by people and lives in poverty.

But now Pawan seems worried about the future of his sons. He demands a government job for his son. “Many times I had requested the authorities to give a government job to my son but nothing happened. Though my sons too are ready to take up the family profession but in case they get a more lucrative job then any one of my six brothers can take it up,” he said.