UP Willing To Give Hangmen Any Time For The Execution Of 2012 Delhi Gang Rape Convicts

Tihar Jail authorities have sought the services of two hangmen from Uttar Pradesh amid growing speculations over the possible execution of the four men sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old in 2012.

Tihar Jail authorities had sought the service of the hangmen from UP as they do not have any hangmen. Confirming the development, Director General (DG) of UP Prisons Administration and Reform Services, Anand Kumar said he received the letter from the Tihar jail superintendent and added that the executioners will be provided to the as and when required.

The development came shortly after Pawan Gupta, one of the convicts was shifted to Tihar Jail from Mandoli jail where the other three other Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, and Vinay Sharma are lodged.

There are also reports that the four convicts who had been on death row since 2013 have been given counselling at the jail. They have also been kept on an increased vigil and are under CCTV surveillance.

Earlier, following the reports that Tihar Jail had no hangmen, several people including a serving cop from Tamil Nadu had volunteered to be the executioners of the four men who committed one of the most shocking crimes in recent times in the country. However, the Tihar authorities are likely to reject them.

One of the four death row convicts, Akshay had on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of its 2017 judgement which confirmed the death penalty to all of them in the case.

Akshay had not filed a review of the SC order so far. There are also reports that Vinay, Pawan Kumar Gupta, and Mukesh Singh will file a curative petition if the review filed by Akshay is rejected. Earlier Vinay Sharma had said that he is withdrawing his mercy plea to the president.

Meanwhile, Heera Lal Gupta, the father of Pawan, one of the convicts has moved a Delhi court Wednesday seeking an FIR against the sole witness in the case for allegedly giving interviews to various news channels after charging money, claiming it affected the case by "resulting into a media trial.

The witness is the male friend of the rape victim who was with her on the bus and was assaulted by the accused before he was thrown out.

The four men on death row along with minor and one Ram Singh were arrested by the Delhi Police for the gang rape and which took place on a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012.

The victim who had suffered severe injuries died on December 29, 2012, at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore where she was shifted for treatment.

Ram Singh was found hanging in his jail cell in 2013, even before the trial had begun.

The trial court had sentenced the four convicts to death in 2013, but the execution has prolonged for nearly six years now as they challenged the order in HC and later SC.