Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi welcomes Delhi HC's one-week-deadline to rapists

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court dismissed MHA's plea which had challenged Patiala High Court's order on the execution of the four rapists in the Nirbhaya rape case. The High Court pronounced its verdict stating that the convicts in the Nirbhaya case will only be allowed a week's time to exercise their legal remedies, following which the trial court will begin proceedings for their execution. It also, however, stated that all four rapists needed to be hanged together. 

Read: Nirbhaya: Delhi HC to give verdict on MHA's plea challenging rapists' execution on Feb 

Welcoming the HC's decision Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi stated, "I welcome the Delhi High Court's verdict. It gives all 4 convicts, 1 week to resort to all legal remedies available to them. After this, the convicts should be hanged soon." 

Read: Delhi HC gives Nirbhaya rapists 1-week deadline to exhaust legal remedies against hanging

MHA files plea in the HC

The MHA along with Tihar jail had approached the courts over Patiala High Court's order which had stayed the execution of the four rapists on February 1 stating that all four needed to be hanged together. In their plea, the Centre had mentioned that the convicts by filing their review, curative and mercy petition, one after the other at such a belated stage, are being permitted to play with law leading to unnecessarily prolonging execution and taking judicial process for a ride.

Read: Nirbhaya convicts issued notice by Del HC on plea against execution stay, hearing on Feb 2

Nirbhaya Case

A 23-year-old paramedic student Nirbhaya was gang-raped inside a running bus by six persons on December 16, 2012, in Delhi. The victim was severely assaulted and thrown out on the road along with her male friend and succumbed to injuries a few days later. Out of the six convicts, one reportedly committed suicide in prison, while another, a juvenile, served maximum punishment of three years in a reform home and was set free in 2015. The remaining four rapists were convicted and handed the death penalty by a trial court in 2013, confirmed by the Delhi High Court in March 2014. The Supreme Court upheld the Delhi High Court's verdict in 2017. 

Read: Nirbhaya's parents move Delhi HC requesting early disposal of MHA's plea