[Breaking] Nirbhaya Case : Delhi Court Issues Fresh Death Warrants For Hanging Of 4 Convicts On March 3 At 6 AM

A Delhi Court on Monday issued fresh death warrants for the hanging of four convicts - Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Akshay Singh- in the Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case on March 3 at 6 AM.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana of Patiala House Courts, Delhi passed the order on a plea moved by Tihar Jail authorities under Section 413 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for fresh death warrants on the ground that no legal proceeding was pending at the instance of any of the convicts .

Earlier, on January 17, the Trial Court had issued warrants for execution on February 1. This was stayed by the Trial Court itself on January 31, noting that all convicts have not exhausted their remaining legal remedies. Mercy petitions of Vinay Sharma and Akshay were pending then.

On February 5, the Delhi HC affirmed the stay on execution, but directed the convicts to exhaust their remedies within one week.

Today, it was submitted by the Prosecutor that Delhi High Court in its order passed on February 5 had permitted the convicts to avail their legal remedies within one week from the date of the order, failing which, the law was required to take the future course of action against the convicts. After that, Vinay Sharma had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on February 11, challenging the rejection of mercy petition. This was dismissed by the SC on February 14.

It was submitted by AP Singh, on behalf of Akshay and Vinay, that convict Vinay was suffering from acute mental illness, therefore, execution of death sentence can't be carried out against him. Moreover, he argued that a detailed report must be called from the jail authorities in this regard.

It was additionally argued on behalf of Akshay that in the earlier mercy petition due to poverty and ignorance, the complete facts could not brought before the President of India. Thus, Akshay has already prepared a fresh and complete mercy petition, and soon will be moved before the President.

It was submitted by Ravi Qazi, on behalf of Pawan, that his client had informed him that he intended to move his curative petition before the SC and a mercy petition before the President.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, who was earlier appointed as amicus curiae in the matter to represent Mukesh, told the Court that he had expressed the desire to discharge her from the case.

Mukesh's mother, who was present in Court, sought mercy and compassion for his son. She was crying and pleading before the court with folded hands.