“My brother is moving the Supreme Court against the hanging and I still hope that it will not take place,” Dhananjoy Chatterjee told warders of Alipore Central jail on Tuesday evening, minutes after he was told that he would be hanged around 4.30 am on August 14.

Dhananjoy, now languishing in the condemned cell of the jail, was told about the government’s decision around 6.45 pm on Tuesday evening, minutes after inspector general of prisons Joydeb Chakraborty announced the timing at a crowded press conference at Writers’ Buildings.

“Dhananjoy had just finished pacing up and down his cell when some of us broke the news to him. He looked shattered and disturbed for a moment. But soon, he put up a brave front, saying he would escape the gallows this time too,” said an elderly warder, who preferred anonymity.

“We saw Dhananjoy pray for a moment before Goddess Kali on a calendar hanging in his cell. Then, he kept mum for some time. He wanted us to inform his parents, wife and other relatives about the date of his hanging. He also wanted us to tell them not to be disheartened by the news,” the warder added.

According to jail sources, Dhananjoy refused to eat on Tuesday night. “Why are you serving me dinner when you have fixed the date of my execution? I won’t eat anything… Please excuse me,” he told the warders on duty in front of his cell. “We have been asked by senior officials to see to it that Dhananjoy ate his dinner and slept well tonight,” said a senior warder.

He said several other murder convicts serving life sentences tried to assemble near the cell to have a chat with Dhananjoy, but they were not allowed to do so. “They were told to keep themselves shut in their respective cells,” said another warder.

Deputy inspector-general of prisons Ramapada Bhattacharya said security was tightened around Dhananjoy’s cell following finalisation of the execution date.

“I have a clearance from the additional sessions judge, Alipore, to go ahead with the execution. We are getting ready for the day,” he said, adding that Dhananjoy’s parents in Bankura were informed through the district magistrate.

Bhattacharya and other jail officials, including Joydeb Chakraborty, held a marathon meeting inside the jail on Monday night to finalise the date of the execution.

Senior officials said hangman Nata Mullick with his son and grandson have been directed to come to the jail on the night of August 13. They will be provided with a sumptuous dinner. They will have to get up around 2 am on Tuesday and complete the execution by 4.30 am.