Nirbhaya Case: New Death Warrant Issued For Convicts, To Be Hanged On March 3

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana pronounced the order on a petition seeking issuance of fresh date for execution of death warrants in the case pertaining to the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in the national capital in December 2012.

The four convicts -- Vinay, Mukesh, Pawan, and Akshay --will be hanged on March 3.

New Delhi: The Delhi court has issued a new death warrant to execute four convicts in the Nirbhaya rape case. The four convicts -- Vinay, Mukesh, Pawan, and Akshay --will be hanged on March 3. The convicts will be executed at 6 AM in Tihar jail. The court was hearing the applications by Nirbhaya's parents and the Delhi government, seeking fresh death warrants for the convicts after the Supreme Court granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convicts. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana pronounced the order on a petition seeking issuance of fresh date for execution of death warrants in the case pertaining to the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in the national capital in December 2012. Notably, of the four convicts, Pawan has not yet availed the remedy of either curative or mercy petition. While speaking to media, Asha Devi, Mother of 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim said, "I am not very happy as this is the third time that death warrant has been issued. We have struggled so much, so I am satisfied that death warrant has been issued finally. I hope they (convicts) will be executed on 3rd March." Earlier, Delhi High Court on February 5 granted a week's time to the four convicts to avail of all legal remedies available to them and said that the convicts cannot be hanged separately since they were convicted for the same crime. The date of execution, first fixed for January 22, was postponed for 6 am on February 1 by a January 17 court order. The trial court later, on January 31, stayed, "till further orders" the execution of the four convicts in the case, who are lodged in Tihar Jail. Watch | Nirbhaya case: Third death warrant issued for convicts Court appoints counsel for Nirbhaya death row convict A Delhi court on Monday appointed advocate Ravi Qazi as the counsel for one of the death-row convicts Mukesh, in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, after he showed an unwillingness to be represented by his counsel, Vrinda Grover. "If he tells me that he doesn't want to be represented by me, it won't be professional for me to stay on the matter," Amicus Curiae Grover told the court. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana called it "unfortunate" and appreciated Grover for her efforts in giving legal assistance to Mukesh. Ravi Qazi was also appointed counsel for Pawan last week after his lawyer A.P. Singh recused himself from the case. (with inputs from agencies)