'Black Warrant' Issued Against Four Convicts in Nirbhaya Gangrape And Murder Case; Here's What it Means

New Delhi, January 7: In a major development, Delhi Court on Tuesday sentenced four men to death for gangrape and murder of a medical student in Delhi in 2012, in a crime that shocked India. The court has issued a Black warrant for the hanging of all four rape convicts at 7 am on January 22, 2020. Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh and Akshay Kumar Singh will be executed at Delhi's Tihar jail. Nirbhaya Rape And Murder Convicts to be Hanged on January 22 at 7 AM, Patiala House Court Issues Death Warrant.

The four convicts were among six, who had sexually and physically assaulted the young medical student leading to her death in 2012. One of them, a juvenile was released after three years in a reform home while another accused Ram Singh committed suicide. Nirbhaya's Parents Express Happiness After Court Order, Victim's Mother Says 'Execution of Four Convicts Will Empower Women of The Country'.

What is Black Warrant or Death Warrant?

A black warrant or death warrant is issued by a court to the jail superintendent in an envelope or file that authorises the execution of a condemned person. Once the death warrant is issued, the convict is not made to work and his family is informed about the execution. The convict is closely monitored 24 hours a day around one week. A medical checkup is conducted twice a day.

The Black warrant, titled 'Warrant of Execution of a Sentence of Death', is a part of forms in CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) and is the 42nd form on the list.

Text of Black Warrant:

To the Officer in charge of the Jail at ______________ (name of jail)

WHEREAS ________________ (name of the prisoner), the ___ (1st, 2nd, 3rd, as the case may be) Prisoner in case No. ________ (case number) of the Calendar for 20__ at the Session held before me on the __ day of ______ (month), 20__, has been by a warrant of the Court, dated the __ day of _______, committed to your custody under sentence of death; and whereas the order of the High Court at _________ (place of the high court) confirming the said sentence has been received by this Court;

This is to authorise and require you to carry the said sentence into execution by causing the said _________ (name of the prisoner) to be hanged by the neck until he be dead, at _______________ (time and place of execution), and to return this warrant to the Court with an endorsement certifying that the sentence has been executed.

Dated, this __ day of ________, 20__.

(Seal of the Court) (Signature)

According to reports, the execution is likely to take place in Jail 3 of Tihar jail, where preparations are going on for months. Reports suggest that ropes have been brought from Bihar's Buxar and hangman from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 07, 2020 07:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).