Delhi Court issues death warrant for Nirbhaya rapists, to be hanged on 22 January

Bringing an end to the justice for Nirbhaya, a Delhi court issued the warrant for the execution of 4 convicts in the case. Sessions Judge Satish Arora of the Patiala House court in Delhi issued the warrant saying that the convicts in the case will be hanged till death at 7 am on 22^nd January.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the parents of the victim requesting for expediting the process of executing the convicts in the case. Yesterday the court had dismissed a plea by one of the convicts, Pawan Kumar Gupta, who had questioned the credibility of the eyewitness in the case, the friend of Nirbhaya who was also beaten by the convicts. The court had reserved the verdict on hanging on Monday.

2012 Delhi gangrape case: A Delhi court issues death warrant against all 4 convicts, execution to be held on 22nd January at 7 am https://t.co/K4JCAM0RJa

— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2020

The four convicts have exhausted every opportunity available for them in the Indian legal system, and they will be finally sent to the gallows, ending a long wait for the families of the girl waiting for justice.

Read- Tihar starts preparing to hang Nirbhaya rapists, specials ropes ordered from Bihar’s jail, dummy execution done: Read details

During the hearing, the prosecution said that no applications was pending at any court or the president, and the review petition of all the convicts have already been rejected by the Supreme Court.

The lawyer of the convicts said that they will file a curative petition in the Supreme Court within a day or two.

The four adult accused were convicted by the trial court in September 2013, and was awarded death sentence. The High Court had upheld that verdict in March 2014. In the same year, the Supreme Court had stayed their execution till their appeal was heard by the apex court.

In May 2017 the Supreme Court had rejected their appeal against the death sentence, and in 2019 the review petitions were also dismissed. Subsequently, the president had rejected their mercy plea on the recommendation of home ministry.

Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur were convicted of brutally raping and murdering a 23-year-old physiotherapy student, nicknamed as Nirbhaya by media, on 16^th December 2012. The fifth convict was a minor, and he was released after spending 3 years in a juvenile home. The sixth person involved in the crime and also the main accused, Ram Singh was found dead during the trial period, who had allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail on 11 March 2013.