Nirbhaya verdict: Convicts to be executed together, Delhi HC sets 7-day deadline

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (January 5) dismissed the central government's plea challenging trial court order which had stayed the execution of all four death row convicts in the NIrbhaya gang rape and murder case.

The HC stated that all four convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31) -- have to be executed together and not separately. The HC directed them to file any application they want within a week after which authorities should act.

Justice Suresh Kumar Kait had reserved the order on February 2 after holding special hearing over the weekend.

Earlier, the counsel for Nirbhaya's parents made an urgent mentioning before Justice Kait, seeking early disposal of Nirbhaya matter.

"Justice Kait responded that he held a hearing on Saturday and Sunday which shows that the court understands the urgency of the matter and it also assured that he will pass the order at the earliest," said Jitendra Jha, counsel for parents of Nirbhaya.

Akshay's mercy plea pending

Mukesh and Vinay have exhausted their legal remedies. However, a decision on Akshay's mercy plea is pending before the President. Pawan has yet not availed the remedy of mercy petition, which is the last constitutional resort. He has also not availed the remedy of the curative petition, which is the last judicial resort.

The 23-year-old woman was gang-raped and tortured on December 16, 2012, which led to her death. All the six accused were arrested and charged with sexual assault and murder. One of the accused was a minor and appeared before a juvenile justice court, while another accused committed suicide in Tihar Jail.

Four of the convicts were sentenced to death by a trial court in September 2013, and the verdict confirmed by the Delhi High Court in March 2014 and upheld by the Supreme Court in May 2017, which also dismissed their review petition in July 2018.

(With agency inputs)