§ 47. Mr. BERNAYSasked the Secretary of State for India whether, with regard to the execution of a man at Lahore last December through the non-opening of a letter ordering postponement, he has now received a report from the Government of India on the steps that are being taken to prevent the recurrence of such an incident?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Butler)The Government of India asked local Governments in January to examine the procedure and to adopt such measures as they considered necessary in order to make the procedure for dealing with postponements of executions as proof against mistake as is possible. In particular, they drew attention to the desirability of assigning to a single official, to be designated by name, the responsibility for seeing that necessary orders in such cases are issued immediately and receive acknowledgment. I much hope that the action that has been taken will make a recurrence of such a regrettable incident impossible.