New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected the mercy petition of a second convict in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case even as the Centre told the Delhi High Court on Saturday that the four condemned prisoners have taken the judicial process for a “joyride” and are acting in tandem to delay their execution.
Hours after the clemency plea of Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) was dismissed by the President, Akshay Thakur (31), a third death row convict, filed a mercy petition. The 32-year-old Mukesh Kumar Singh, whose mercy plea has been rejected, and Pawan Gupta (25) are the other two condemned prisoners.
A trial court on Friday postponed the execution of the four men scheduled at 6 am on Saturday in Tihar jail, giving the condemned prisoners a reprieve for the second time in two weeks. In the order, the judge noted that if an appeal or an application is made by even one convict, the execution of the death warrant shall be also postponed in the case of co-convicts also. The Centre rushed to the Delhi High Court on Saturday challenging the trial court’s order staying the execution and mentioned the plea before Chief Justice D N Patel for an urgent hearing. The plea was heard by Justice Suresh Kait towards the end of the day after which the judge sought the response of the four convicts. (PTI)
