The Centre has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order which refused to set aside the trial court’s order dated 31 January that granted a stay on the execution of four death row convicts in the appalling Nirbhaya gangrape case. Further, the apex court agreed to hear the Centre’s appeal on 7 February.
Earlier, on 5 February the Delhi High Court declined the Union government’s plea to set aside the trial court order, which had deferred the hanging of the convicts till further orders and also to separately execute the death row convicts since they were convicted for the same crime in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. The Delhi HC has further directed the four convicts to exhaust their remaining legal remedies within 7 days after which the authorities should act as per law.
Except for Pawan, all convicts have exhausted their legal remedy available to file a curative petition before the Supreme Court. The President has also rejected the mercy pleas of three convicts Mukesh, Vinay, and Akshay.
