Nirbhaya case: Patiala House Court reserves order on issuing death warrant of convicts

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana of the Patiala House Court on Monday reserved the order on a plea seeking issuance of fresh death warrant of all the convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case. He heard the arguments of both the prosecutor and the counsels for the rapists. Meanwhile, the judge appointed Ravi Qazi as convict Mukesh’s counsel after the latter’s mother moved an application in this regard. The judge announced that the operative part of the order will be dictated in the chamber.  

Read: Execution Of Nirbhaya's Rapists Stayed Till Further Orders; No Hanging At 6 Am On Feb 1

The arguments in Patiala House Court

The prosecutor listed all the possible legal remedies available to the convicts. He referred to the order of the Supreme Court that no petition pending before it has any bearing on the execution proceedings pending before the trial court. Mentioning that no petition of any convict was pending before the SC and the President of India, he also cited the Delhi High Court order that mandated the rapists to exhaust their legal remedies by February 12.  

On the other hand, the counsel for convict Pawan revealed that a curative petition would be filed before the SC in the next few days. Moreover, AP Singh- the counsel for convict Akshay said that his parents had filed an incomplete mercy plea. Therefore, he stated that Akshay wanted to file an elaborate mercy plea.  

At this juncture, Vrinda Grover informed the court that Mukesh did not want her as the counsel. AP Singh added that his client Vinay was on a hunger strike since February 11 and was not in a mentally fit condition. The court directed the jail Superintendent to take care of the convict as per rules.  

Read: 'Laws Being Played With, Girls & Parents Concerned': Nirbhaya's Mother Backs MHA's SC Plea

What is the 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 and succumbed to 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 upheld the Delhi High Court's verdict in 2017. 

Read: Supreme Court Dismisses Nirbhaya Convict Vinay's Appeal Against Rejection Of Mercy Plea

Read: “We Have Lost Faith In Court” Says Nirbhaya’s Mother After Yet Another Delay