New death warrant has been issued against the Nirbhaya's rape case convicts for their hanging on February 1 at 6 am. The four convicts -- Akshay, Vinay, Mukesh and Pawan -- were supposed to be executed at 7 am on January 22.

Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts
Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts.

The development came minutes after the Delhi court asked the Tihar jail authorities whether the Nirbhaya case convicts have been informed about the rejection of their mercy plea by President Kovind.

Seeking a response from the jail authorities, additional sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora had earlier adjourned the matter for 4.30 pm on Friday.

The court's observations came in after public prosecutor Irfan Ahmed moved a fresh application seeking issuance of death warrants against the four death row convicts.

He informed the Court that no plea is pending before it or any other forum.

Smriti Irani flays AAP govt for 'delayed' hangings

Union Minister Smriti Irani today attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for allegedly delaying the execution of four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape-murder case.

smriti irani
Union Minister Smriti Irani.ARINDAM DEY/AFP/Getty Images

"I want to tell the Kejriwal government that even though the review petition of three of the four convicts was dismissed by the Supreme Court in July 2018, the executions may not take place on the due date (January 22) because the Prison Department under the AAP government was sleeping," the Minister said.

She also slammed the Delhi government for giving Rs 10,000 and a sewing kit to one juvenile rapist after his release. "They did not see tears in the eyes of Nirbhaya's mother? I salute her today for her struggle all these seven years."

(With agency inputs)