Darshan Singh (executioner)

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Darshan Singh (* 1932 ) is the former chief executioner of Singapore .

Darshan Singh began his practice as an executioner with the British in 1959 after the previous executioner, Mr. Seymour, resigned. Singh also wanted to resign, but he had problems finding a suitable position.

During his career, he hanged more than 1,000 prisoners sentenced to death . He received a wage of S $ 400  (about 200 euros) for each execution carried out. He still holds a "record" as the fastest executioner for executing seven executions in 90 minutes.

The execution of Nguyen Tuong Van

On October 28, 2005, around five weeks before the scheduled execution of Australian citizen Nguyen Tuong Van , who had been sentenced to death for drug smuggling, The Australian newspaper revealed a state secret by showing the Singapore executioner on the front page. The journalists hoped that they would at least be able to postpone the execution of their compatriot.

In the days that followed, Singh gave very nonchalant interviews in which he frequently reported on his career as an executioner. An interview with Reuters , however, was not without consequences for him. After he extensively raved about the "fun" of his work and also told how he celebrated his 500th execution with several bottles of whiskey, he was dismissed in the face of a storm of indignation. On November 28, 2005, he spoke again through the media, asking to be used in Nguyen's execution. As an absolute professional, he can guarantee that the death row inmate will not suffer. Media representatives and Australian politicians reacted with indignation to the request. After the state-controlled tabloid newspaper The New Paper publicly advocated Singh, the termination was withdrawn. On December 2, 2005, at 6:00 am, Nguyen Tuong Van was executed as planned, but by a previously unknown executioner.

Alan Shadrake's book

Darshan Singh came back into the public eye in July 2010 when British journalist, author and anti-death penalty activist Alan Shadrake wrote his book Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock (for example: Once upon a time there was a happy hangman: Singapore's justice system the dock ) published. Singh had given Shadrake interviews on the death penalty in Singapore, including mentioning that he had retired in 2006.

This fact caused great astonishment because it was also Alan Shadrake who put the hangman's photo on the front page of the newspaper “The Australian” (and later on media worldwide) in 2005 and revealed his state-prescribed secret identity. In 2005 that was the starting shot for Singh's later problems. It is unclear when the interviews for Shadrake's work took place; but certainly in 2006 or later, as Singh only then retired.

Shadrake was sentenced on November 16, 2010 by the Singapore High Court for “disregard of the court” to six weeks in prison and the equivalent of a fine of around 11,000 euros. In the book he claims a., Origin and nationality played a role in Singapore as to whether the death penalty was imposed or not.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Singapore's Retiring Hangman and His Next Victim. Interview with Darshan Singh on TalkLeft.com, November 3, 2005.
  2. ↑ Darshan didn't do it. The Age, December 3, 2005.
  3. ↑ Singapore arrests 'Hangman' author. In: Al Jazeera. July 19, 2010.
  4. ↑ British author, 76, jailed in Singapore for six weeks over book on the death penalty. In: Daily Mail. 17th November 2010.
  5. ^ Shadrake to appeal. Strait Times, November 18, 2010 ( January 20, 2011 memento on the Internet Archive )

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Singh, darshan
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Singaporean chief executioner
DATE OF BIRTH 1932