Nirbhaya Convict appeals Delhi LG to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment

Nirbhaya death-row convict Vinay Sharma approached Delhi Lieutenant Goverr Anil Baijal seeking to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment on Monday (March 9). His move comes soon after Patiala Court issued a fresh death warrant for four accused in Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case who are to be hanged till death on March 20, 5:30 AM.  convict, through his lawyer AP Singh, has filed a petition under Sections 432 and 433 of CrPC seeking to suspend his death sentence.

Read: Nirbhaya Case: SC To Hear Mukesh Singh's Plea Against Former Lawyer On March 16

'Does t deserve extreme punishment' 

Vinay Sharma through his advocate prayed that he does t deserve " extreme punishment of death," which is reserved for "rarest of rare" cases where alternative option of life imprisonment is unquestionably foreclosed.

Read: Nirbhaya Case: Activist Asks UN To Declare Convicts' Execution Date As Rape Prevention Day

His lawyer AP Singh also contended that Goverr should consider his "positive steps towards reformation, his young , and poor socio-ecomic circumstances." convict's step of moving to  Lieutenant Goverr comes after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected mercy pleas of all four convicts, exhausting all legal remedies of ir death being pardoned. 

Previously, Supreme Court on Saturday fixed March 16 for hearing a petition filed by one of death row convicts, Mukesh Singh, seeking action against his former advocate, for restoration of his legal remedies. Advocate ML Sharma, in his petition, alleged that convict Mukesh Singh's former lawyer Vrinda Grover had allegedly hatched a criminal conspiracy against Mukesh with Delhi Police. 

Read: President Rejects Mercy Plea Of Nirbhaya Convict Pawan; Rapists Exhaust All Legal Remedies

Nirbhaya rape and murder case

A 23-year-old paramedic student Nirbhaya was gang-raped inside a running bus by six persons on December 16, 2012, in Delhi. victim was severely assaulted and thrown out on road along with her male friend and succumbed to injuries a few days later. Out of six convicts, one reportedly committed suicide in prison, while ar, a juvenile, served maximum punishment of three years in a reform home and was set free in 2015. 

remaining four rapists were convicted and handed death penalty by a trial court in 2013, confirmed by Delhi High Court in March 2014. Supreme Court upheld Delhi High Court's verdict in 2017.

Read: Supreme Court To Hear Centre's Plea On Separate Execution Of Nirbhaya Convicts On March 23

(with inputs from ANI)