The Delhi High Court today (February 5, 2020) will pronounce its verdict on hanging of the four Nirbhaya rape and murder convicts at 2.30 pm. The verdict will be on the Central Government’s plea which said that the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya Gangrape case were misusing the judicial system to delay their hanging.
Justice Suresh Kait has been hearing the matter and will decide the future of the four convicts; namely Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31).
The Court had, on February 2, 2020 reserved its order on the Centre's plea after holding special hearing on Saturday and Sunday (1-2 February, 2020) saying the decision would be passed at the earliest.
The trial court on January 17, 2020 had issued black warrants for the second time for the execution of all the four convicts in the case in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. Earlier, on January 7, the court had fixed January 22 as the hanging date.
On January 31, 2020 the court again stayed the execution as the counsel for three convicts -- Pawan, Vinay and Akshay -- urged it to adjourn the matter "sine die" saying their legal remedies were yet to be exhausted.
While the mercy pleas of Mukesh and Vinay have been rejected by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, convict Pawan has not yet filed a mercy petition. Akshay's mercy plea was filed on February 1 and is still pending.
