Nirbhaya Case: Delhi Government Seeks Fresh Date For Execution Of Convicts, Moves City Court

The state prosecution on Wednesday moved to trial court with a plea seeking issuance of fresh death warrant of execution against convicts of Nirbhaya gangrape case. Earlier today, President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy plea of Nirbhaya convict Pawan Gupta. With this, Gupta’s all legal remedies stand exhausted. All eyes will be now on the fresh death warrant that will be issued by the lower court.

The 14-day period between the rejection of mercy plea and the hanging will have to be complied with. This means that the fresh death warrant can be issued either on March 17 or 19. Though the convicts’ lawyers may once again try to employ delay tactics to avoid the hanging. This means that the fresh death warrant will be the final for the Nirbhaya convicts.

"We are moving a fresh application in Delhi court to fix a fresh date for the execution of the four convicts. All the convicts have exhausted their complete rights. The date which will be fixed now will be the final date, Seema Khushwaha, lawyer of Nirbhaya's parents, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The father of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim on Wednesday expressed hope that the convicts will be hanged this month, after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition of Pawan Kumar Gupta, one of the four men facing the gallows in the case. "He has one option left -- that is to challenge the mercy plea in Supreme Court as the others have done. Let's see what happens next, but we are confident of getting justice," Nirbhaya's father told PTI over phone.

(With agency inputs)