Vinay Sharma, a death row convict in the gangrape and murder of a paramedical student in 2012, on Monday approached the Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor’s office demanding that his death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. The convict moved the LG’s office through his counsel AP Singh, who filed a plea under Sections 432 and 433 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), reported news agency ANI.
The development comes two days after the apex court dismissed the plea of Mukesh Singh, another of the four convicts, seeking an urgent hearing on Monday. The court said on March 7 that it will hear Mukesh’s plea on March 16.
Advocate M L Sharma, representing Mukesh, had contended his client is a victim of a criminal conspiracy and fraud played by Grover in collusion with the Delhi government and the Centre.
"They compelled him to sign various papers under threat of session court order (which was never issued by the session court) stating that court has directed her to secured various signed documents from him to file various petition including Curative Petition on his behalf in the High Court and Supreme Court in his death sentence case," said Sharma in the petition seeking the top court permission to file fresh curative petition and mercy plea.
Sharma contended that all the advocates representing Delhi government and the Centre, including Grover, deliberately did not disclose the true legal position of the limitation period, which is three years for filing the curative petition as per law.
A trial court last week issued fresh warrants with March 20, 5.30 a.m., as the date for the execution of the convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31).
The top court slated the matter for further hearing on March 23, on Centre's plea to permit separate hanging of the accused in the case.
Also read: Delhi court issues fresh death warrant; all 4 convicts to be hanged on March 20
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