Nirbhaya convicts to be hanged on 20th
06 Mar 2020 08:47:14
NEW DELHI :
Supreme Court to examine legal issue on whether there could be separate hanging in a case where there are more than one death row convicts on March 23
A DELHI court on Thursday issued a fresh date, March 20 at 5.30 am, for execution of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana fixed the new date after being informed by the Delhi Government that the convicts have exhausted all their legal remedies. The death row convicts are: Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31). Their lawyer told the court that there was no legal impediment for it in proceeding to fix the date of execution. The Delhi Government had on Wednesday moved court seeking fresh date for the execution hours after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition of Pawan.
The Delhi Government had told the court that all legal remedies of the convicts have been exhausted and nothing survives now. The lawyer for the prosecution also said no notice was required. The court had on Monday deferred till further order the hanging the convicts that was scheduled for Tuesday. The execution of their death warrants has been deferred thrice so far due to delays by them in exhausting legal remedies. All the convicts in the case are to be hanged together.
Later in the day, the Supreme Court said that it would hear on March 23 the appeal filed by the Centre challenging the Delhi High Court order that the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case have to be executed simultaneously. The court said that it would examine the legal issue on whether there could be separate hanging in a case where there are more than one death row convicts on March 23.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench, headed by Justice R Banumathi, that the trial court has fixed March 20 as date of execution of the four convicts who have exhausted all their legal remedies. Mehta told the bench, also comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and a S Bopanna, that these convicts have made a mockery of the system by their delaying tactics and taken it for a ride. The bench said it would hear the matter on merits on March 23 and made it clear that no adjournments will be granted.