Patiala House court reserves order on plea to stay execution of Nirbhaya convicts

The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Monday dismissed the pleas seeking stay on execution filed by the convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case. The petitions were filed by Akshay Singh and Pawan Kumar Gupta. All four convicts are scheduled to be hanged at 6 am on March 3. Then, following Pawan Gupta filing a mercy petition before the President, the court reserved the order.

READ: Supreme Court Dismisses Fourth And Last Curative Petition Filed By Nirbhaya Rapists

All petitions dismissed

The application was dismissed by Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana of the Patiala House Court. Earlier, the Judge had conveyed to the representatives of the convicts that it was not possible for the Court to stay the execution of the convicts on any legal grounds.

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court had also dismissed the fourth and final curative petition filed by Gupta, seeking to stay the execution. 

The mercy petitions of three convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh, Vinay Kumar Sharma, and Akshay Kumar -- have already been dismissed by the President. Pawan Gupta was the last to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court. He filed the mercy petition before President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday and the hearing will take place on Monday afternoon itself. 

On February 17, the Patiala House Court had ordered that the convicts be hanged on March 3 after issuing fresh death warrants. This is the third such date after the previous two - January 17 and January 31 were deferred by petitions were filed by the convicts 

READ: 'Convicts Playing With Law & Justice', Says Nirbhaya's Mother After Akshay Files Petition

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. The victim was severely assaulted and thrown out on the road along with her male friend and succumbed to her 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 had upheld the Delhi High Court's verdict in 2017. 

READ: 'Hope Courts Reject Pleas & Hang Convicts On March 3': Nirbhaya's Mother Asha Devi

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