New Delhi, January 7: The Patiala House Court on Tuesday issued death warrant against four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case. The convicts will be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Delhi's Tihar Jail.  The plea was filed by Nirbhaya’s parents seeking the issuance of death warrant for all the four convicts at the earliest. Additional Sessions and District Court  Satish Arora pronounced the verdict.  Nirbhaya Case Convicts Issued Notice by Tihar Jail Administration, Given 7 Days to File Final Mercy Petition.

The Delhi court said that the convicts could use their legal remedy within 14 days. Nirbhaya convicts' lawyer AP Singh said that they would file a curative petition in the Supreme Court. Reacting to the verdict by the Patiala House Court, Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi expressed happiness. She said, "My daughter has got justice. Execution of the 4 convicts will empower the women of the country. This decision will strengthen the trust of people in the judicial system."

Asha Devi's Statement:

Last month one of the convicts Vinay Kumar had filed a mercy petition before the President, which he later withdrew. On Monday, a Delhi court dismissed an application filed by the father of another death-row convict in the case. The application was filed by Pawan Gupta’s father on December 20. The petition had stated that the girl's friend committed perjury for giving false testimony in the court. Pawan’s another plea claiming that he was juvenile when had committed the crime was also rejected by the Delhi High Court in December last year. All the convicts are currently lodged in the Tihar Jail. Nirbhaya Rape and Murder Case: Rapists to Soon File Curative, Mercy Petitions as Last Resort.

The case pertains to rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student by six men on a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012. She was on her way back home when the incident happened and later succumbed to her injuries. Reportedly, six people were convicted in the case, one was a minor, who was sent to a rehabilitation centre, and another, Ram Singh, committed suicide in the Tihar Jail. All the four convicts were given the death penalty by a trial court in 2013.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 07, 2020 04:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).