In India capital punishment is awarded in the “rarest of rare cases” and is usually not delivered often. However, whenever it does happen, the judge passing the sentence “breaks” the nib of the pen used to write down the sentence before retiring from the courtroom. Ever wondered why this happens? Here is why
Breaking the nib is a symbolic act. It is done so that the pen which signed the person's life away will never be used to do that ever again, while hoping that no one commits such a heinous crime. A death sentence, in principle, is a last action in dealing with extremely anti-social acts that cannot be resolved in any other way. The nib is broken in order to do away with the pen that has written “death” for another man. Perhaps it is done by the judge as a way of distancing himself/herself from the judgement and the guilt of the same. Judges have no powers to review/revoke the judgement or order once it has been written and signed. Therefore, the nib is also broken so that the judge may not think of reviewing his own judgement.
While on capital punishment, watch this video to meet Pawan Kumar who is a fourth-generation hangman, and he is eager to carry on his family's strange legacy. He has quite a notable lineage -- his grandfather Kallu executed Indira Gandhi's assassins in 1989, and his father Mammu was the state hangman for 47 years.
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