Nirbhaya Case: Last-Minute Plea Against Death Penalty Dismissed by Delhi High Court, Convicts to be Hanged at 5:30 am on Friday
Finding lack of merit in their plea, the bench headed by Justice Manmohan decided to reject it. With their last-minute bid failing to defer their hanging, all the four convicts - Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur and Mukesh Singh - will be hanged for heinous gangrape and murder committed by them in 2012.
New Delhi, March 19: Decks were cleared for the scheduled execution of Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case convicts as the Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed their petition against the death penalty. Three out of the four convicts, who are scheduled to be hanged at 5:30 am tomorrow, had moved a petition before the court against the death warrant issued against them. Nirbhaya Will Get Justice Tomorrow, Says Victim's Mother Asha Devi.
Finding lack of merit in their plea, the bench headed by Justice Manmohan decided to reject it. With their last-minute bid failing to defer their hanging, all the four convicts - Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur and Mukesh Singh - will be hanged for heinous gangrape and murder committed by them in 2012.
During the course of hearing, the Delhi HC found a conspiracy to defer the scheduled hanging through their plea. The petition, they said, was presented in a manner which showed lack of merit but a prima facie intent to delay the hanging of convicts.
"You have to make out a case for stay. We cannot grant stay of execution without you making out a good case for it. Such a casual approach by you.
"At 11 o'clock we are saying please come to the point. You are not coming to the point," the bench said in a late night hearing.
"There is very limited time now, so if you have a legal point come to it. Or you can carry on till the cows come home," the bench said. After the court was not convinced by the remarks of advocate AP Singh, the counsel of the petitioners, it decided to discard the plea.
The Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case dates back to December 16, 2012 when a 23-year-old medical student was raped inside a moving bus. The culprits also committed acts of bestiality after dumping her body. Within a fortnight, the rape victim succumbed to death. The case sparked a nationwide protest, with the youth calling for stringent laws to ensure security of women.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2020 11:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).