On January 7, 2020, a local Delhi court had issued the death warrants against four death row convicts in the sensational 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. The convicts will be hanged on January 22 at 7 AM in Tihar Jail in the national capital.?
Four convicts - Akshay, Mukesh, Vinay and Pawan - are facing the gallows for rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012.
However, the events that have unfolded in the past few days could see the date of execution delayed. Asha Devi, the mother of 2012 gang-rape victim expressed her disappointment over the recent development in delaying the execution of four rape convicts and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensure their hanging on January 22.
"I was shocked to hear that Mukesh has approached for a stay. I have been fighting for seven years now but nobody gave me an answer. When the death warrant was announced, they were given 14 days time to appeal for mercy petition. Instead, they approached the Supreme Court to put a stay on death warrant which was dismissed," Devi told news agency ANI.
"They later took it to the High Court and the court said that the convicts are trying to delay the case. I will keep supporting the cause and victims. I request the President to dismiss their mercy petition and they should be hanged on January 22", she added.
In a heartfelt video, Asha Devi said, "Requesting PM Modi. You had said in 2014' ab bahut hua naari pe vaar, ab ki baar Modi sarkar. I want to request you with folded hands please ensure all the four are executed on Jan 22."
Meanwhile, the Delhi Government has rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh, one of the convicts in the case. The mercy plea was then forwarded to Lieutenant Governor, who has now sent it to Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
He approached the High Court on Tuesday seeking to set aside the trial court's order issuing death warrant.
Delhi High Court on Wednesday disposed of a plea by Nirbhaya case convict Mukesh Kumar, seeking to set aside the trial court order which issued the death warrant.
Delhi High Court asked convict Mukesh's counsel to approach the trial court and apprise the court of the pending mercy plea.
In its order, the Delhi High Court stated, "Having heard counsel for the parties, this court is of the view that there is no error in the order dated January 7, 2020, as till the date the impugned order was passed, the petitioner had neither filed a curative nor a mercy petition."?
There was a sense of jubilation when the death penalty verdict and date was announced. As January 22 approaches, Asha Devi remains hopeful that nothing comes between now and the day of execution.