Nirbhaya Convicts Spent Final Hours in Isolation, Had No Last Wish

The four men were hanged to death at 5:30 am on Friday, 20 March.

Composite image of the four Nirbhaya gang rape convicts.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

The four convicts in the notorious Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case who were hanged to death at 5:30 am on Friday, 20 March, spent their last few hours in isolation, in separate cells, said Tihar jail officials. They also did not express their last wishes, added the officials.

Akshay Thakur (31), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26), and Mukesh Singh (32), were hanged, seven years after they tortured a medical student on a moving bus in Delhi in December 2012.

“Mukesh and Vinay had dinner, while Akshay had only tea last night. Vinay cried a bit but all four convicts were quiet. They were continuously updated on court orders. If their families claim their bodies, they will be handed over to them, else it is our duty to cremate them.”

Director General, Tihar Jail

The Tihar Jail – the largest prison facility in Asia – was on lockdown since night before the scheduled execution.

(Get live updates on the aftermath of the Nirbhaya convicts' hanging here.)

The convicts were woken around 3:30 am, just after the Supreme Court dismissed their final pleas.

"The convicts had not expressed any last wish or will to authorities," an official said.

Death row convicts are asked about their last wishes before hanging.

As per the prison manual, any documents, including the will of the prisoner, can be signed and attested in the presence of the jail superintendent and the district magistrate or additional district magistrate.

Tihar officials also told NDTV that the earnings of three convicts – Pawan, Vinay and Mukesh – from labour work, will be sent to their families. All their belongings will also be sent to their families.

However, Akshay has no earnings as he did not engage in any labour work at Tihar.

The execution of the convicts comes more than seven years after the brutal crime that shook the country.

(With inputs from NDTV, PTI)