Nirbhaya case: Four death convicts remain silent on asking about their last wish
After much delay in execution, the four death-row convicts in the Delhi 2012 gang-rape and murder case are set to be hanged on February 1, 2020. Earlier on January 20, the Supreme Court had rejected the plea of death row convict in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. The court's words had challenged the Delhi High Court order, which had dismissed his claim of being a juvenile at the time of offence saying he cannot re-agitate the issue by filing a fresh application.
Fresh death warrants have now been issued against the four Nirbhaya case convicts - Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31), Mukesh Kumar Singh (32) and Pawan (26) and the four will be hanged at 6 am on February 1.
Prison rules allow any death convict to meet one family member of their choice, ahead of their execution. They are also asked if they want to leave their property to anyone. If sources are to be believed, the four death-row convicts in the Nirbhaya case have not given any response on being asked about their last wish before execution.
Sources at the Tihar jail have revealed the convicts have not expressed willingness to meet their family for the last time, or a decision about their property.
The convicts were silent after they were asked about their last wish, they said, adding the silence was looked upon as their willingness to postpone their hanging again.
The Central government on Wednesday had approached the Supreme Court with a petition asking it set time limits for death row prisoners to exercise their last legal options.
Arguing that the current rules are skewed towards convicts and allow them to "play with the law and delay execution”, the Centre has asked the apex court to introduce a 7-day deadline for death row convicts to file mercy petitions and also introduce a time limit for filing of review and curative petitions in such cases.
The 23-year-old paramedic student, referred to as Nirbhaya, was gang-raped and brutally assaulted on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012, in a moving bus in south Delhi by six people before she was thrown out on the road.
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