New execution date for Nirbhaya convicts likely

A Delhi court had given death sentence to all the four Nirbhaya convicts earlier this month. The date for execution was scheduled for 22 January as well. Two of the convicts had submitted a mercy petition to the Supreme Court which the top court rejected. Now, they are waiting for a mercy plea from the President of India. Tihar jail, where they are reportedly going to be hanged, has now requested the Delhi government to postpone the execution date until mercy petitions filed by the convicts are settled. Reportedly, officials at the jail have also shifted the convicts to Tihar prison complex jail number three where the hanging is expected to happen.

“Was the victim ever given a chance? In the name of a system, that we swear our lives on, these men have been evading justice for seven years. Seven long years and we aren’t done with our system, yet. Delusional”, tweeted Madhuvanthi Srinivasan.

The Delhi state government had earlier expressed their lack of interest in interfering with death warrant of the convicts. The mercy petition filed by one of the convicts Mukesh Singh was immediately rejected by the state government.

The convicts who are awaiting execution, has now been allowed to meet their families twice every week.

A 23 year old medical student named Jyoti Singh was brutally raped and attacked by the six convicts. She succumbed to her injuries after two weeks. Jyoti, was later called Nirbhaya, meaning the fearless. The case had attracted attention from across the world with international communities demanding justice. One of them who was a juvenile was let out after three years in a juvenile home. The other convict Ram Singh allegedly committed suicide in the jail premises.

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