The Dhaka Times Desk Due to legal complications, the execution of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya rape-murder case in India has not been carried out, despite being scheduled twice. However, Delhi's Patiala House Court has issued a new death warrant.
The judge of Delhi's Patiala House Court ordered that the four accused should be hanged at Tihar Jail on March 3 at 6 am.
However, the legal community is not at all sure about this date. The reason is that Pawan Gupta still has two legal options. Moreover, even after all the legal processes, 14 days have to be given for hanging. As such, Pawan's legal process should be completed within 2 days. There is considerable doubt whether Pawan will apply within these two days or not.
Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Guptar were sentenced to death by a lower court in Delhi in 2012 for the gang-rape and brutal torture of paramedic student Nirbhaya on a moving bus.
A long legal battle has been going on ever since. All three, except Pawan Gupta, have already exhausted all their legal options. President of India Ram Nath Kovind rejected the latest plea for life alms.
Yesterday (Monday) the Tihar Jail authorities mentioned this matter in the court. Even though Pawan Gupta still has options like a curative petition and petition for life sentence to the President, his petition is not pending anywhere, the lawyers of the jail authorities said.
The judge issued the death warrant for the third time only after such a statement by the lawyers of the jail authorities. The Patiala House Court issued two death warrants by fixing the date of execution of its convicts. The date of execution in the first warrant was last January 22. Then in the second warrant that date was last February 1.
However, as all the legal processes have not been completed, the Patiala House Court on January 31 stayed the execution until further orders. The Center and the Delhi state government went to the High Court seeking to lift the stay order and issue a fresh death warrant.
The Delhi High Court on February 5 said that within 7 days all legal proceedings must be completed by the criminals. Still, the government side appeared in the Supreme Court with the application for the death warrant.
After the expiry of the deadline given by the High Court last Tuesday, the Supreme Court said that there is no obstacle in the lower court to issue the death warrant. According to the Supreme Court, the government applied for a death warrant in the Patiala House Court. Then yesterday (Monday) the court gave this verdict to execute the execution of the four accused.
According to online reports, after the verdict was announced yesterday (Monday), Nirbhaya's mother said in one of her reactions, 'I am happy that a new death warrant has been issued. But I will be more happy if the execution takes place on March 3. Nirbhaya's father said, 'If the death sentence is implemented, the number of crimes in the country will decrease.'
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