Nirbhaya rape case: Court sets Dec 18 hearing date as convict's review plea pending in SC

In a massive development in the Nirbhaya rape case, the Patiala House court on Friday will hear the case on December 18 at 2 PM, as one of the convict's review petition is pending in the Supreme Court. The judge has stated that he will wait for the apex court's decision on December 17 when it will hear the convict -Akshay Singh's review petition, before giving a final decision on the seven-year-long case. Nirbhaya's counsel has argued that the convicts can avail legal remedies even after the death warrant is issued, which he insisted should be issued by the court immediately.

Nirbhaya rape case: All convicts summoned by court to ensure 'excercise of legal options'

Court sets Dec 18 as hearing date

Earlier on Thursday, the Patiala House Court had summoned all accused in the case to court. While sources reported that they are being produced through video, none of the convicts appeared on Friday. The convicts were summoned to court to ascertain the exercise of their legal remedies as their review and curative petitions are pending in the apex court.

Supreme Court to hear Nirbhaya convict Akshay Singh's abominable review plea on Dec 17

SC to hear Akshay's review petition

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court decided to hear convict Akshay Singh's review plea on December 17 at 2 PM. Akshay Thakur moved the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking review of its 2017 judgment awarding death penalty. In the review plea, the convict put forth farcical and absolutely baseless arguments to consolidate his stand--including 'Satyug', Delhi AQI, and even the wedding of the rapist's sister. The rapist even contended Nirbhaya's dying declaration, claiming that it had been "contrived" and that it should be "kept out of consideration."

Nirbhaya case: Tihar jail says 'Have no hangman' as convict asks for mercy plea withdrawal

The Nirbhaya case

A 23-year-old paramedic student Nirbhaya was gang-raped inside a running bus by six persons on December 16 in 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 committed suicide in prison, while another, a juvenile, served maximum punishment of three years in a reform home and was set free in 2015.

Nirbhaya rapist cites Delhi air, wedding in horrific plea challenging death - hang him now

The remaining four rapists were convicted and handed death sentence 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. In July 2018, the SC rejected the review pleas filed by the three convicts for a re-examination of its 2017 judgment. Amid growing demands for the hanging of Nirbhaya rape convicts, Tihar Jail has summoned two hangmen from UP for any scheduled execution.