Nirbhaya convicts will now be hanged on February 1
In a fresh turn of events, the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case will now be hanged on February 1. The development comes after their scheduled execution on January 22 had to be delayed, due to a mercy petition filed by one of the convicts. Meanwhile, another convict reportedly attempted suicide in prison. Here are more details.
Death court issued fresh death warrant for 4 convicts
A Delhi court on Friday issued a fresh death warrant against the four convicts in the Nirbhaya case. Earlier in the day, Tihar Jail authorities had approached the court for the issuance of the warrant.
Why was the January 22 execution delayed?
The previous execution date was delayed after one of the convicts, Mukesh, sought mercy from President Ram Nath Kovind. As per law, a death row convict can only be hanged 14 days after their mercy plea has been rejected. Earlier in the day, President Kovind had rejected Mukesh's mercy petition. The new date of execution is scheduled exactly 14 days from today.
3 other convicts haven't filed mercy petitions yet
Each time a mercy petition is filed, the 14-day period of reprieve would have to be observed. Notably, apart from Mukesh, the three other convicts—Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, and Akshay Kumar Singh—have yet to approach the President to seek mercy. If and when they decide to plead mercy, the execution date would have to be postponed again, prolonging the execution.
Tareeq pe tareeq; our system prioritizes convicts: Victim's mother
Reacting to the new developments, the mother of the victim in the Nirbhaya case, Asha Devi, said, "What's happening is exactly what the convicts wanted—tareeq pe tareeq (hearings after hearings). In our (judicial) system, the convicts are given priority."
Convict Vinay Sharma attempts suicide in jail: Reports
Meanwhile, the convict Pawan approached the Supreme Court on Friday. Pawan moved the SC against a Delhi High Court order quashing his petition which claimed that he was a minor at the time of the incident and should be tried as a juvenile. Separately, reports emerged that convict Vinay attempted suicide in Tihar, however, jail authorities denied the reports, according to Amar Ujala.
What is the Nirbhaya rape case?
The four convicts, and two others, raped a 23-year-old student (dubbed "Nirbhaya") on a moving bus on December 16, 2012. The convicts penetrated her with iron rods, inflicting grave injuries, and the victim died two weeks later during treatment. The fifth accused, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in prison in 2013. The sixth accused—a juvenile—was sent to a reformation home and was later released.
