Nirbhaya case: Court directs Tihar jail authorities to file status report on hanging

A Delhi court on Thursday (January 16) directed Tihar jail authorities to file a proper report by Friday about the status of scheduled execution of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora passed the directions after jail authorities informed that they have written to the Delhi government on the issue of scheduled execution on January 22 in view of pending remedies of the accused.

The Delhi government on Wednesday (January 15) told the high court that execution of the death row convicts will not take place on January 22 as a mercy plea has been filed by one of them.

Also read: Execution of Nirbhaya convicts will not take place on Jan 22: Delhi govt to HC

Meanwhile, Ministry of Home Affairs sources said, they received a mercy petition from convict Mukesh Singh, however, it was later rejected.

The four convicts — Vinay Sharma (26), Mukesh Kumar (32), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) — were to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar jail. A Delhi court had issued their death warrants on January 7.

On December 16, 2012, a 23-year-old college student was brutally raped and assaulted by six men including a minor on a moving bus. Days later, the girl succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Singapore. The gang-rape triggered widespread protests across the country.

(With inputs from agencies)