New Delhi: A Delhi court Friday reserved its order on an application of three death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case seeking a stay on their execution February 1.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana reserved the order after completion of hearing of arguments of the Tihar jail authorities and the convicts’ lawyer.
The Tihar Jail authorities said that only one convict’s plea is pending and the others can be hanged, they challenged the application of three condemned prisoners in the case seeking a stay on their execution.
The convicts’ lawyer disagreed with the counsel for the jail authorities and said rules dictate that when one convict’s plea is pending the others cannot be hanged.
Advocate AP Singh, representing the convicts – Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma and Akshay Kumar – urged the court to adjourn the executions ‘sine die’ (with no appointed date for resumption). Vinay’s mercy plea before the President is pending.
The fourth person sentenced to death in the case is Mukesh Kumar, whose mercy plea was dismissed January 17 by President Ram Nath Kovind. The appeal against the rejection was thrown out Wednesday by the Supreme Court.
The curative petitions of Vinay and Akshay have been rejected by the apex court. Pawan is the only one yet not to file a curative plea. Convicts have the option of moving a mercy petition before the President only after the apex court dismisses their curative plea.
PTI