Nirbhaya Gangrape-Murder Case: One Convict's Mercy Plea Pending, Others Can Be Hanged on February 1, Tihar Jail Tells Delhi Court
Only one convict's mercy petition is pending, while three other convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case can be hanged, Tihar Jail authorities told a Delhi court on Friday.
New Delhi, January 31: Only one convict's mercy petition is pending, while three other convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case can be hanged, Tihar Jail authorities told a Delhi court on Friday. The court was informed that convict Vinay Kumar Sharma's mercy plea is pending before President Ram Nath Kovind and three other convicts Akshay Singh, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh can be hanged on February 1. Nirbhaya Gangrape And Murder Case: Tihar Jail Performs Dummy Execution Ahead of February 1 Hanging.
Additional Sessions Judge AK Jain on Thursday directed Tihar Jail authorities to file a report about the application filed by the Nirbhaya convict's lawyer seeking a stay on the death sentence in view of the pendency of mercy plea of Vinay Sharma. The court's direction to the jail authorities came after Vinay moved the court seeking stay on the death warrant issued against death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. Nirbhaya Gangrape And Murder Case: Death Row Convict Vinay Sharma Wants to Attach His Personal Diary With Mercy Petition.
Advocate AP Singh, appearing for Vinay, sought court's direction to the Tihar Jail authorities to stay the execution of the convicts until the determination of the mercy petition and other legal remedies. While rapist Mukesh has exhausted his legal recourse of curative petition, Vinay's mercy petition is pending before President Kovind. Convict Pawan Gupta has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss his claim that he was a juvenile when the gruesome incident took place.
The 23-year-old victim was brutally gangraped and tortured on December 16, 2012, which later led to her death. All the six accused were arrested and charged with sexual assault and murder. One of the accused was a minor and appeared before a juvenile justice court, while another accused committed suicide in Tihar Jail.
Four of the convicts were sentenced to death by a trial court in September 2013, and the verdict was confirmed by the Delhi High Court in March 2014 and upheld by the Supreme Court in May 2017, which also dismissed their review petition in July 2018.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2020 12:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).