Nirbhaya Case: Delhi Court Issues Notice In Fresh Plea By Convicts For Stay On Execution

A Delhi Court on Wednesday issued notice in a plea for stay on the execution of four convicts of the Nirbhaya rape case.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana will take up the matter tomorrow at 12 pm.

The plea moved through Advocate AP Singh has sought stay on execution, which is scheduled to be carried out on March 20, on the ground that the convicts have yet not exhausted all their legal remedies.

He has pointed out that Akshay has moved his second mercy petition before the President of India, while Pawan's curative petition challenging the court's order on his plea of juvenility has been filed before the Supreme Court.

It is also highlighted in the petition that the convicts' application challenging their death penalty is also pending before the International Court of Justice.

In his application, AP Singh has also informed the court that Akshay's wife has moved a divorce petition which is now pending before a district court in Aurangabad. The hearing in this divorce petition is due for tomorrow.

In addition to this, various petitions on behalf of Pawan which are filed before the Delhi High Court, for instance the one filed against Election Commission of India, are also cited to argue that since the convicts have not exhausted all their legal remedies, they can't be hanged on the scheduled date.

In his application, AP Singh has also cited the coronavirus pandemic and the security measures taken by various states to curb the same as a ground to argue that the situation is not cohesive to execute the convicts.