In response to one of the Nirbhaya death row convicts Mukesh Kumar Singh plea, seeking an urgent hearing, challenging the President’s rejection of his mercy plea, Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, on Monday (January 27), observed that the petition should be listed as “top priority.”
“If somebody is going to be hanged then nothing can be more urgent than this,” said the CJI and asked Kumar’s counsel to approach the court registry.
The bench also comprised justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant.
With the hanging of the convicts scheduled for February 1, the petition filed on Saturday sought the cancellation of the death warrant.
The 32-year-old Singh’s mercy plea was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17.
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Singh had moved the mercy petition after the Supreme Court had dismissed his curative petition against his conviction and death sentence.
(With inputs from agencies.)
