Delhi court defers hanging of 4 Nirbhaya case convicts till further orders

The attack on December 16, 2012 prompted India to enact tough new laws against sexual violence

A Delhi court Monday deferred till further order the hanging of four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case pending disposal of a convict’s mercy plea, saying it was “an important constitutional legal principle”. All the convicts in the case were to be hanged together on Tuesday at 6 AM. The execution of their death warrants has now been deferred thrice due to delays in exhausting legal remedies.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana said the death sentence cannot be executed pending disposal of mercy petition of convict Pawan Gupta. “Despite stiff resistance from the victim’s side, I am of the opinion that any condemned convict must not meet his Creator with a grievance in his bosom that the courts of the country have not acted fairly in granting him an opportunity to exhaust his legal remedies,” the judge said.

“As a cumulative effect of the discussion, I am of the opinion that the death sentence cannot be executed pending the disposal of the mercy petition of the convict. It is hereby directed that the execution of death warrants against all the convicts, scheduled for March 3 at 6 AM, is deferred till further orders,” the judge added. The court passed the order on Pawan’s plea seeking to stay the execution as he filed a mercy petition before the President on Monday…

keep Reading : Nirbhaya Rape Case

My son is now a pilot, Rahul Gandhi made it possible: Nirbhaya's father

He said his son after completing his Class 12 got admitted to the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, a government-founded autonomous institute in Rae Bareli

Nirbhaya brother is flying high — literally. He has joined a private airline after completing his commercial pilot training and his parents cannot stop thanking Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for making it possible.

Badrinath Singh told IANS that the Congress leader helped the grief-stricken family in "every way possible he could" after his 23-year-old daughter was brutally gang raped on December 16, 2012 that led to her death 13 days later.

"My son (he refused to name him) is now a pilot. He completed his training recently. He has joined IndiGo Airlines and is already flying planes. And it is true it was possible because of Rahul Gandhi," said Singh, who works at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.

He said his son after completing his Class 12 got admitted to the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi, a government-founded autonomous institute in Rae Bareli — the Lok Sabha constituency of Rahul Gandhi's mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"Rahul Gandhi made it possible. He looked after us after the incident," the father said, referring to the December 16 night when his daughter was brutally gang-raped.

"He (Gandhi) helped us emotionally. He helped us in many ways. He helped us monetarily. Otherwise, you can understand how was it possible for us to make our son a pilot."

Singh said many came to help the family initially, but "it was Gandhi who stood by us always and had strictly told us to keep it a secret".

"He used to tell us he was not doing it for his politics. It was purely on humanitarian basis. He used to tell us not to speak to the media," Singh said, adding that he too has nothing to do with Gandhi's politics, "but the truth remains the truth, and we cannot thank him enough".....READ FULL ARTICLE

Nirbhaya gangrape case: SC shows no mercy; death sentence for 4 culprits

Here is a timeline of crucial developments in the case so far

 

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentence on all four convicts in the December 2012 NIRBHAYA Delhi gang-rape. Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur were convicted on charges of brutally raping and assaulting a 23-year-old paramedical student inside a bus that led to her death.

'It is a barbaric incident', Supreme Court said in its order.

The Delhi High Court earlier upheld their conviction and death sentence. 

The matter was heard by the apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and consisting of Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan. 

"Taking the serious injuries, the severe nature of the offence committed by the convicts, we are upholding the sentence," the Supreme Court bench said.

Here is a timeline of crucial developments in the case so far

May 5, 2017: The Supreme Court to pronounced its judgment in infamous 2012 Delhi gang rape case.

March 27, 2017: The Supreme Court reserves verdict after nearly a year of hearing the case.

March 6, 2017: All the accused submit additional affidavits in the Court.

February 3, 3017: The Supreme Court decides to re-hear the case on the sentencing aspect, after the petitioners contend that there have been violations in procedure.

January 6, 2017: The Supreme Court seeks mitigating circumstances from the accused.

November 28, 2016: Senior Advocate and Amicus Curiae Sanjay Hegde argues against reliability of evidence in the case.

November 7, 2016: Senior Advocate and Amicus Curiae Raju Ramachandran makes his submissions, argues for the sentencing order to be set aside.

September 16, 2016: Former Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (Delhi) Chaya Sharma, who was transferred to Mizoram post the Delhi gang rape case, attends the hearing.

September 2, 2016: Advocate M. L. Sharma concludes his submissions.

August 29, 2016: High drama in the courtroom as allegation of the police tampering with evidence is made.

April 8, 2016: Senior Advocates Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde appointed Amicus Curiae.

April 3, 2016: Hearings begin in the Supreme Court, after 19 months of being in cold storage. Justices Dipak Misra, V. Gopala Gowda and Kurian Joseph to hear the case.

December 18, 2015: Delhi High Court refuses to stay release of the minor-accused, who walks free after three years in a juvenile home.

March 15, 2014: The Supreme Court stays execution of the accused after allegations of a denial of fair trial.

March 13, 2014: Delhi High Court Bench of Justices Reva Khetrapal and Pratibha Rani upholds the trial Court verdict.

September 13, 2013: Four remaining accused sentenced to death by Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna.

January 29, 2013: The Supreme Court dismisses transfer petition.

August 31, 2013: Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) presided over by Principal District Magistrate Geetanjali Goel finds the juvenile accused guilty of rape and murder of the medical student, sentences him to three years in Special Home.

March 11, 2013: Main accused Ram Singh commits suicide in Tihar jail.

December 16, 2012: Six men, including the 17-year-old juvenile, gang-rape a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus on December 16, 2012. The girl and her friend were returning home after watching a movie when they were coaxed into the bus by the accused, who then beat up her friend before taking turns in raping her.

The girl succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.

The convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh - challenged the Delhi High Court order which had sentenced them to the gallows.| READ MORE...