Nirbhaya Convicts to be Hanged on March 20 at 5.30am as Delhi Court Issues Fresh Death Warrant

Correspondent

New Delhi: A trial court on Thursday issued the fourth death warrant for the hanging of four Nirbhaya convicts, who will now be executed at Tihar Jail on March 20 at 5.30am. On Wednesday, President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy plea of one of the four convicts Pawan Gupta. The Delhi government had earlier recommended rejecting his mercy petition.

Gupta, 25, one of the four convicts in the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student in Delhi, had filed a mercy plea on Monday before the President after the Supreme Court dismissed his curative petiti Gupta, along with the other four, was scheduled to hang at Delhi’s Tihar jail on March 3 but the hanging had not taken place after he filed the curative petition urging the court that his death sentence be changed to life imprisonment.

He was the last death row convict in the case to move the top court with his curative plea, the final legal remedy available to a person. His lawyer had filed his petition seeking mercy from the President on Monday soon after the SC order.

The trial court had on February 17 issued March 3 as the fresh date for execution of Mukesh Kumar Singh, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma and Akshay Singh, convicted in the gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy intern. She was raped and savagely assaulted in a moving bus in South Delhi on December 16, 2012, and died a fortnight later.

Speaking about the fresh warrant, Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi said: “The morning of March 20 will be the morning of our lives.” Devi said the struggle would continue till the time they are hanged and hoped that March 20 to be the final date of hanging. She also said that if there is any chance, she would want to see the convicts dying.

“While dying Nirbhaya asked to ensure they get such punishment that such crime is not repeated ever. If there is any chance, I would like to see them die,” said Devi.