New Delhi, Jan 7, TEN Network | A sessions court in Delhi issued death warrants to the four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gang rape case, paving the way for their death sentence. The court directed that the hanging be carried out at 7 am on January 22.
The decision comes seven years after the gruesome rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student in Delhi on the night of December 16, 2012.
On December 18, Nirbhaya’s parents and the Delhi government had approached the Patiala High Court in the capital city for issuing the death warrants which will clear the way for hanging the four accused in the case.
The move had come after the Supreme Court had dismissed a review petition filed by Akshay Kumar Singh – one of the four convicts in the case – the same day.
The court had given a week’s time to the convicts to file their mercy petitions against their executions with the President of India, and adjounrned the hearing for issuing death warrants for January 7.
Rajiv Mohan, counsel for Nirbhaya’s parents, told the court today that there are no petitions (curative or mercy) from the convicts pending before the court, adding that it was enough for the judge to issue a death warrant.
If the convicts want to avail any remedy, then they can do so within the next 14 days, the counsel said further.
However, AP Singh, counsel for the convicts, claimed that they are in the process of filing curative petitions with the Supreme Court and that they should be given more time for the same. (MC)
