Singapore hangs Indian-origin man over smuggling of 1 kg of cannabis

Rejecting the appeals of the United Nations and other international calls, Singapore on Wednesday executed an Indian-origin man convicted of drug trafficking.

Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, had been convicted for abetting the trafficking in 2013 of more than 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of cannabis, double the threshold for the death penalty in the city-state, which is known for its tough laws on narcotics.

A statement by the Singapore Prison Service on Wednesday said that Tangaraju "had his capital sentence carried out today at Changi Prison Complex", Channel News Asia reported.

A court in Singapore dismissed an application by Tangaraju on Tuesday to have his case reviewed and for his execution to be stayed, according to the report.

Justice Chong, in a 15-page judgment, explained that Tangaraju had failed to show a legitimate basis for the court to review his case.

Tangaraju's case had drawn support from British billionaire Richard Branson and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, on Tuesday, urged the Singapore government to "urgently reconsider this (Tangaraju's) execution and to take steps to fully respect the most fundamental of human rights - the right to life."

Meanwhile, Branson had claimed in a blog post that Tangaraju's conviction did not meet standards for criminal conviction and that "Singapore may be about to kill an innocent man".

The government in response said Branson was peddling falsehoods and disrespecting its justice system, adding that its courts spent more than three years examining the case and Branson's claim was "patently untrue".

Singapore executed 11 people last year and says the death penalty is an effective deterrent against drugs and that most of its people support the policy.

(With agencies inputs)

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