Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
Video Producer: Debayan Dutta
Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Thursday, 5 March, issued fresh death warrants against the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. All four convicts – Pawan Kumar Gupta, Mukesh, Vinay, and Akshay – have exhausted all their legal remedies.
All four of them are to be executed at 5:30 am on 20 March.
Reacting to the order, Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi said, “Hope this is the final date and they would be hanged on 20 March. Till the time they are not hanged, the struggle will be on.”
“The morning of 20 March will be the morning of our life... If there is any chance, I would like to see them die,” she added.
The convicts’ lawyer conceded there is no legal impediment for the court to fix the date of their execution.
After President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition of convict Pawan Kumar Gupta, the Delhi government on Wednesday moved a city court seeking fresh date for the execution of the four convicts.
The first date of execution, 22 January, was postponed to 1 February, which was then further postponed to 3 March.
The Supreme Court of India will hear Centre's appeal against the HC order on simultaneous execution of death row convicts on 23 March.
It also asked the convicts' lawyers to be prepared for arguments against separate hanging.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)