A graduate student in Shanghai convicted of fatally poisoning his roommate in 2013 was executed after the death sentence was upheld by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Friday. 

Lin Senhao, a student at Shanghai's Fudan University, used N-Nitrosodimethylamine, a toxic chemical taken from a university lab, to contaminate a water dispenser in his dormitory on March 31, 2013. Prosecutors said that Huang Yang, his roommate, drunk the tainted water which caused him to die of organ failure on April 16.

Lin Senhao's father, Lin Zenyao, met with him on Friday in Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People's Court before execution. Asking about certain doubtful points of the case, Lin Zenyao was told by his son "Whatever I say now is useless," The Beijing News reported on Friday.

Lin the father said they held two meetings in the court, neither of which lasted for 10 minutes.

The SPC withdrew the power of death sentence review from provincial courts in 2006, after fears that outside influence might allow some to escape capital punishment.

The chief judge in charge of the case, whose name was not given in reports, said that the decision was made after an SPC collegial panel reviewed all case documents, questioned Lin and heard opinions from his defense counsel. The panel also addressed key doubts raised by the defense counsel.

In an online survey, a majority of respondents endorsed the SPC's decision to uphold Lin's death sentence.

The SPC said it had approved requests from Lin and his relatives to appoint new defense attorneys.

Global Times