Nirbhaya case: Activist asks UN to declare convicts' execution date as Rape prevention day

Ahead of the scheduled March 20 hanging for Nirbhaya rape and murder case convicts, women rights activist and founder of People against Rapes in India (PARI), Yogita Bhayana, has penned a letter to the United Nations seeking to declare March 20, 2020, as 'Rape Prevention Day.'

The activist also took to her official Twitter handle and shared the image of the letter addressed to the Deputy Representative, UN Women India. 

READ | Nirbhaya Rape Case: Fourth death warrant issued, convicts to be hanged on March 20

'Efforts needed to make women feel safe'- Activist Yogita 

"Such naming shall help every Indian to understand what Nirbhaya and her family had endured and reaffirmed their vow to the vision of a rape free India. Just like Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated in India to not just celebrate Gandhiji's birthday but to celebrate Gandhi as a person and the ideals that he lived to protect," Bhayana said in her letter to the UN.

In her letter to the Women's cell of the United Nations in India, Yogita Bhayana stated that the government is doing its job by making laws and policies to prevent rape, but more efforts are needed to make women of the country feel safe and secured from the grass-root level. 

"If the UN declares the execution date of Nirbhaya's convicts as 'Rape Prevention Day', it shall add another feather to its cap by sensitizing this issue and making Indians aware of their mission towards women security. This shall mark as a strong step towards social justice and will have a huge impact on Indian society," Bhayana informed.

READ | President rejects mercy plea of Nirbhaya convict Pawan; rapists exhaust all legal remedies

New death warrant issued 

Issuing a fresh date, the Patiala House Court on Thursday ordered that the Nirbhaya rape and murder case convicts are to be hanged till death on March 20, 5:30 AM. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana has ordered the fresh date of execution against the four convicts. The judge also directed that convicts counsel AP Singh and Ravi Qazi are allowed to meet them in the prison as per the Standard Operating Procedures of the Tihar prison. This is the fourth death warrant issued in the matter.

By now, mercy petitions of all convicts in the case have been rejected by the President. However, a "complete" mercy petition of convict Akshay Singh Thakur was recently filed claiming that the previous one, which was turned down by the President on February 5, did not have "complete facts".

READ | Supreme Court to hear Centre's plea on separate execution of Nirbhaya convicts on March 23

READ | Nirbhaya Case Convicts' lawyer plays victim, makes funding claim & says rapists are tired

(With inputs from ANI)