Death warrant issued for all four convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case, hanging on January 22

In a major development, Delhi's Patiala House Court on Tuesday (January 7) issued death warrant for all four men sentenced to death in Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case. The four convicts will be hanged to death on January 22 at 7 AM, said the court.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora, who issued the death warrants, said the convicts can use their legal remedies within 14 days. The judge has called the SHO of Tilak Marg police station before delivering the verdict. The judge talked to all the convicts and told them to put forward their claims. The convicts' lawyer AP Singh said that we will file curative petition in Supreme Court. The convicts were produced before the court through video conferencing.

Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi has welcomed the order and said that her daughter has finally got justice. "My daughter has got justice. Execution of the 4 convicts will empower the women of the country. This decision will strengthen the trust of people in the judicial system," she said.

"Strongly welcome this decision. It is a win for all the 'Nirbhayas' living in this country.I salute Nirbhaya's parents who fought for 7 long years. Why has it taken 7yrs to punish these people? Why can't this time period be reduced?" said Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal. 

In December 2019, Nirbhaya's mother had moved the Supreme Court to oppose a review plea by one of the four men sentenced to death in the case. On December 18, the Tihar Jail authorities had issued a notice to the convicts to file their mercy petition within seven days.

Earlier, the Patiala House court had adjourned the hearing on the issuance of death warrants against the convicts till January 7, giving them a week’s time to know if the four convicts were filing mercy pleas. This had come hours after the Supreme Court dismissed the last review plea against capital punishment.

Earlier, the other three convicts had told the Tihar Jail authorities that they still have the option of filing a curative petition before filing a mercy plea. A curative petition is the last legal recourse available to a convict and it is generally considered in-chamber.

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The apex court had already rejected the review petition of Akshay Kumar Singh, one of the convicts. The other three convicts had told the Tihar Jail authorities that they still have the option of filing a curative petition before filing a mercy plea.

Meanwhile, the Patiala House Court on Monday dismissed a plea moved by father of Pawan Gupta alleging that the lone eye witness in the case was a tutored witness.

Nirbhaya, a paramedic student, was raped and severely assaulted on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012, inside a running bus in south Delhi by six persons and then thrown out on the road.

Also read timeline of Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case