'India's laws have defeated justice,' says DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal

Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal on Monday reacted to the hanging of the Nirbhaya rape and murder case culprits being deferred by the Patiala House Court. Taking to her official Twitter handle, Swati expressed her sadness and stated that the laws of India have once again defeated justice.

Swati's Tweet translates as "The Justice has been once again defeated by the laws of the country."

READ | Nirbhaya rape case: Hanging deferred till further notice, as last convict files for mercy

Patiala House Court Defers hanging 

The Patiala House Court on Monday deferred the hanging of the convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case till further notice. The hanging was deferred after rapist Pawan Gupta filed for mercy from President Ram  Nath Kovind. The petition has been received by the Home Ministry. Upon hearing the case again, the court has deferred the hanging which was scheduled to take place on March 3 - Tuesday, at 6 AM.

READ | Execution looming, Nirbhaya convicts' families appeal- 'hanging a sin of Brahma-hatya'

Nirbhaya court proceedings

The mercy petitions of three convicts -Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, and Akshay Kumar have already been dismissed by the President. All convicts curative petition to have been dismissed by the Supreme Court. On February 17, the Patiala House Court had ordered that the convicts be hanged on March 3 after issuing fresh death warrants. This is the third such date after the previous two - January 17 and January 31 were deferred by petitions filed by the convicts.

READ | 'I have full faith in legal system' Nirbhaya's mother after Court denies stay on execution

Nirbhaya rape and murder case

A 23-year-old paramedic student 'Nirbhaya' was gang-raped inside a running bus by six persons on December 16, 2012, in Delhi. The victim was severely assaulted and thrown out on the road along with her male friend. She succumbed to her injuries a few days later.

Out of the six convicts, one reportedly committed suicide in prison, while another, a juvenile, served maximum punishment of three years in a reform home and was set free in 2015. The remaining four rapists were convicted and handed the death penalty by a trial court in 2013, confirmed by the Delhi High Court in March 2014. The Supreme Court had upheld the Delhi High Court's verdict in 2017.

READ | Nirbhaya case: MHA receives mercy petition of death row convict Pawan Gupta

READ | Supreme Court dismisses fourth and last curative petition filed by Nirbhaya rapists