The Delhi government on Wednesday moved a city court seeking a fresh date for execution of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the last remaining mercy plea in the case.
According to Delhi Prison Rules, a 14-day period has to begiven to a death row convict after the dismissal of a clemency plea before theprisoner can be hanged. All the four men are to be hanged together.
A Union Home Ministry official said President Ram NathKovind has rejected the mercy petition of 25-year-old Pawan Kumar Gupta, one ofthe four condemned prisoners.
The Delhi government told Additional Sessions JudgeDharmendra Rana that all legal remediesof the convicts have been exhausted and nothing survives now.
The judge then directed the convicts to file their responseby tomorrow even as the lawyer for the prosecution said no notice was required.
While issuing the notice, the court said principles ofnatural justice are part of Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) ofthe Constitution and the sacrosanct principle of “Audi alterampartem” (listen to the other side) cannot be ignored.
The hanging of Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Vinay Sharma (26)and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) besides Pawan previously scheduled for March 3 wasdeferred for the third time in six weeks by the court on Monday in yet anothertwist in the case marked by apparent delaying tactics by the condemnedprisoners. The President has already rejected the mercy petitions of Mukesh,Vinay and Akshay.Thecourt on Monday postponed the hanging till further orders.