Nirbhaya case: Death warrant issued against four convicts, hanging on January 22

National

The Patiala House Court on Monday ordered death warrant against the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case. The convicts Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma will be hanged at 7 am on January 22.

The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed all legal remedies for the convicts and today’s proceedings were in line with black warrant which ought to take place when a prisoner runs out of legal options.

Her parents, welcoming the death penalty said they were glad that justice has been served.

What is a black warrant?
A black warrant is addressed in the name of officer-in-charge of a jail where a convict has been given a death penalty. The warrant is issued against the convict, the case in which he/she has been booked and sentenced to the death penalty. It also includes the High Court that confirmed capital punishment.

Nirbhaya convicts' lawyer AP Singh: We will file curative petition in Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/NE6O8C51bI

— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2020

The formal instruction of the warrant reads, ” This is to authorise and require you (the jail officer) to carry the said sentence into execution by causing the said (name of convict) to be hanged by the neck until he be dead”.

It also comprises the name and place of the execution and is signed by a trial court judge with a seal.

The Nirbhaya Case:
On the tragic night of December 16, 2012, the victim after watching a movie with her male friend was looking for conveyance in New Delhi’s Munirka area. Finally, she managed to board a private bus which had six people whom she mistook for boarders. The said people gang-raped her and threw her on the road to die, while her friend was left unconscious on the road.

The rape shook the nation as people carried out candle march for the victim. Keeping the frailty of the situation, victim’s name was never disclosed and people started calling her Nirbhaya.

Following the public pressure, Nirbhaya was shifted to Singapore for better treatment where she succumbed to internal injuries in a week’s time.

Who are the accused: There were six people who gang-raped her of which one allegedly committed suicide in Delhi’s Tihar Jail while the juvenile was released.

The six accused are Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Ram Singh (committed suicide), Akshay Kumar Singh and Mohammad Afroz (juvenile).

It has been seven years since the family of the rape victim has been awaiting justice. Today also the court reserved the order for 3:30 pm but as expected the order was further delayed.

A fast track court in 2013 found all six accused guilty of rape, murder and for destroying evidence. This was followed by Delhi High Court’s 2014 order in which it confirmed the death penalties for them.