Follow Us
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 7
A Delhi court on Tuesday issued death warrants for the execution of four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail in the national Capital.
Hanging in Jail No. 3
The four will be executed in Jail No 3, says a jail official
Three of the convicts are lodged in Jail No 2 while one is in Jail No. 4, the official said
Sources said the jail authorities will approach a hangman in Meerut for execution
Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora ordered that the four convicts — Mukesh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) —- be hanged after the prosecution said there was no plea pending before any court or the President by any of them at this juncture and the review petitions of each one of them had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court.
The court interacted with the convicts through video conferencing from Tihar Jail and the media was not allowed inside the video conferencing room. After the court issued death warrants, lawyers and family members of the convicts came out and informed the media about it.
Nirbhaya’s parents said they were satisfied with the court’s order.
The hanging will restore the faith of women in law.
Asha Devi, victim’s mother
Welcoming the court’s order, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “The decision has fulfilled a long-term wish of the Delhi people. I hope people who misbehave with women learn from this, that they will not be spared and law will take its course in their case.”
“Justice delivered to Nirbhaya. A Delhi court’s verdict to execute four convicts will empower women and strengthen people’s faith in the judiciary,” senior BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted.
As the counsel for two of the convicts —- Mukesh and Vinay —- said they were in the process of filing curative petition in the Supreme Court, the prosecution counsel said: “In between the issuance and the execution of death warrants, if the convicts want to file curative petitions, they can do so.”
The counsel for Mukesh and Vinay said they were in the process of filing curative petition in the Supreme Court.
When advocate ML Sharma said he was representing Mukesh, amicus curiae Vrinda Grover, who on the last date was appointed by the court to represent Mukesh, objected to it. The court asked Sharma to produce vakalatnama authorising him to represent Mukesh.
After the court reserved the order for 3.30 pm on issuance of death warrants, Mukesh’s mother entered the court room crying and urged the court to show mercy but the judge refused to entertain her.
Tuesday’s order came on applications filed by Nirbhaya’s parents and the prosecution (Delhi government) seeking issuance of death warrant against the four convicts. The Supreme Court had on December 18 rejected convict Akshay Kumar’s petition seeking review of its 2017 verdict upholding the death penalty given to him and three other convicts. The top court had already dismissed the review petitions of other three convicts — Mukesh (30), Pawan Gupta (23) and Vinay Sharma (24) —- in July last year, saying no grounds were made out by them for review of the 2017 verdict.
The paramedic student was brutally gangraped on December 16, 2012, by six persons and severely assaulted before being thrown out on the road. She died on December 29, 2012.
There were six accused in the case. One of them, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail while the lone juvenile accused was convicted by a juvenile justice board and later released from a reformatory after three years.
The road to justice
Dec 16, 2012: Paramedical student (23) gang-raped, assaulted by six men in bus in Delhi
Dec 18-22: Police arrest six accused, including a juvenile. The adult accused were Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Akshay Kumar Singh
Dec 29: Victim dies in Singapore hospital
Mar 11, 2013: Accused Ram Singh commits suicide in Tihar Jail
Aug 31: JJB convicts minor, sends him to reformatory for three years
Sep 13: Trial Court awards death penalty to all four convicts
Mar 13, 2014: Delhi HC upholds death penalty to 4 convicts
May 5, 2017: SC upholds death penalty to four
July 9, 2018: SC dismisses review pleas of Vinay and Pawan
Dec 18, 2019: SC dismisses review plea of Akshay
Jan 7, 2020: Delhi court issues death warrant against all four
Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.
9