Nirbhaya gangrape case: Supreme Court defers hearing on separate hangings till Friday

A bench, comprising Justices R Bhanumathi, Ashok Bhushan and S Bopanna deferred, the hearing till 2 pm on Friday.

The bench also appointed advocate Anjana Prakash as amicus curiae for convict Pawan Gupta, who had earlier claimed that he did not have a lawyer to assist him.

On Wednesday, parents of Nirbhaya had filed a plea for issuance of fresh death warrants against the convicts who had brutally tortured and killed their 23-year-old daughter.

Counsel for the parents submitted that one week deadline given by the Delhi High Court to end the legal process before the execution ended February 12.

One of the convicts, Vinay Sharma, argued that order of President of India, turning down his mercy plea, has been challenged and hearing would take some time.

Another condemned prisoner, Pawan Gupta, submitted that he had dismissed his lawyer earlier and he is yet to file a curative plea and mercy petition in the case. The selection of lawyer is expected to be a lengthy process.

Then the court offered counsel of legal aid in the case for him.

In this matter Additional Sessions Judge at Patiala House Court passed an order for execution against Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta, Mukesh Singh and Akshay Singh initially for January 22 and then February 1, but the capital punishment did not take place as one convict after another filed various petitions.

The Centre had moved the top court challenging the Delhi High Court order which said the convicts could not be executed separately.