By Sanjeev Kumar Chauhan

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS): Pawan Jallad, the executioner chosen by the Tihar Jail administration to hang the four Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts, will reach Tihar Jail on Thursday. However, if there are no further hurdles in the legal process, then all the four convicts would hang to death on February 1.

On Tuesday, relatives of the four death row convicts -- Mukesh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31), visited them in Tihar, sources said.

Ever since the death warrant was issued to them, the only question for the Tihar jail administration is -- who will hang Nirbhaya's killers? The Uttar Pradesh Directorate General of Prisons has now put the seal on this by finally naming hangman Pawan Jallad from Meerut to carry out the execution.

Talking to IANS on Tuesday night, Tihar Jail Director General Sandeep Goyal said: "On Thursday morning Pawan (executioner) will be brought to Tihar Jail from Meerut amid tight security. However, it is certain that Pawan will be transported to the hanging house in Tihar Jail as soon as he reaches Delhi."

On Thursday, Tihar Jail will make arrangements to bring Pawan executioner from Meerut. But, Director General refused to give more details citing security reasons.

Sources on the other hand, however, said that at least 15 to 20 armed policemen (Delhi Police Third Corps personnel) will provide security to Pawan in the highly secured jail-van of Tihar Jail.

The jail administration has also decided by which road Pawan Jallad will be brought to Delhi from Meerut. But this is likely to change. The Delhi Police Third Corps along with the Tamil Nadu Special Police Force personnel engaged in the security of Tihar may also be sent to bring Pawan Jallad to Delhi, sources said.