Nirbhaya case: Convict Vinay Sharma’s lawyer AP Singh is trying all ways to delay Sharma’s hanging and in furtherance of his case, has now approached the Election Commission of India challenging the Delhi government’s rejection of his mercy petition. The lawyer said the mercy petition was rejected when the model code of conduct was in force for the elections to the Delhi Assembly. The rejection of the mercy petition by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has thus been questioned by the convict’s lawyer in an attempt to portray it as playing to the popular outrage against the rape and murder case accused with an eye o the ballot box.
Vinay Sharma’s lawyer said the petition was sent on January 29, when the Model Code of Conduct was in place, and wanted the Election Commission to look into the matter closely. With a fresh death warrant out to hang the 4 convicts on death row — Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Akshay Singh — on March 3, the lawyers are trying to get their clients death sentences converted into life terms. Two death warrants issued for January 22 and February 1 had lapsed with courts staying their execution.
Reports said that convict Vinay Sharma had hurt himself by banging his head against a wall in Tihar Jail, where he is lodged alog with the other convicts, in an attempt to inflect an injury on himself. Many see this as an attempt to escape the hanging on March 3 as jail manuals prohibit hanging of death row convicts in case of injury. Reports said jail officials prevented Vinay Sharma from damaging himself further and was treated for his injuries.
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