Nirbhaya convicts hanging deferred for the 3rd time

New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Monday after hearing deferred till further order the death warrants issued against the four convicts in 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape-murder case.Earlier before lunch, the court dismissed the plea filed by two convicts in the case who were seeking a stay on execution of death warrant scheduled for March 3, Tuesday.

The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as Nirbhaya was gang raped and savagely assaulted in a moving bus in South Delhi area on December 16, 2012 and she died fortnight later.

On February 17, Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana had issued third time fresh date for execution of death warrants for March 3 at 6 am against the four convicts Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Kumar Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Singh (31).

Counsel for convicts submitted before the court that fresh mercy petition on behalf of Akshay Kumar Singh and the curative petition by another convict Pawan Gupta have been filed and requested to stay on the execution.

Government Counsel submitted that these are tactics for delay and the State has not yet received any information regarding the second mercy petition of Akshay and curative petition on behalf of Pawan was filed after considerable delay so these are not the ground for staying execution.

ASJ Dharmendra Rana, between the arguments, told counsel for convicted,'' You should be cautious as you are playing with fire.'' After hearing the final arguments, the Court deferred the execution of the death warrants against the convicted persons till further order as mercy petition of  Pawan Gupta is pending before the President of India. (UNI)