New Delhi, January 27: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Arvind Bobde on Monday stressed on the urgency to hear Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case convict Mukesh Singh's petition. The CJI, while responding to Singh's lawyer, said the counsel must seek an urgent listing of the plea from the Supreme Court registry as it involves the life and death of a person. All Convicts Silent on Last Wishes Ahead of February 1 Hanging, Says Report.

"If somebody is going to be hanged then nothing can be more urgent than this," the Chief Justice was quoted as saying. Singh had approached the apex court on Saturday, seeking review of the rejection of his mercy plea by President Ram Nath Kovind. The mercy petition, his counsel alleged, was turned down without following the due procedure.

The President had dismissed the mercy plea on January 17, four days after it was moved before him by Singh. Relying on the apex court's judgment in Shatrughan Chauhan vs Union of India case, the convict's legal team decided to challenge the expedited rejection of his mercy plea.

Singh, along with three other co-convicts - Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta - were sentenced to death for gangraping and murdering a 23-year-old medical student on a moving bus in Delhi on December 16, 2012. The conviction was upheld by the apex court last year.

While they were slated for hanging on January 22, the date of execution was deferred as Singh had moved a plea before the President less than two weeks before facing the gallows. The three other co-convicts are yet to file their mercy petitions. As per the fresh death warrant, they are scheduled to be hanged at 6 am on February 1.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 27, 2020 12:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).