Fresh death warrant issued to four convicts in Nirbhaya case

New Delhi: A Delhi court on February 17 set a new date for the hanging of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya case. The execution has been scheduled for 6 am on March 3.

The court was hearing the applications by Nirbhaya’s parents and the Delhi government, seeking fresh death warrants for the four convicts after the Supreme Court granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convicts.

The convicts were to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail, a Delhi court had announced on January 7 while issuing their death warrants.

However, on January 17, the court had issued a fresh death warrant for the execution of the four Nirbhaya convicts, with the convicts now scheduled to be hanged at 6 am on February 1.

The court had, however, on January 31 stayed the hanging of the four death-row convicts. The trial court had postponed the execution of the death warrant untill further notice.

Earlier in the day, Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana reserved the order after hearings during which Mukesh Kumar Singh, one of the four death row convicts in the case told the court that he does not want to be represented by advocate Vrinda Grover.

The court then appointed advocate Ravi Qazi to represent Mukesh.

The court was also informed that another death row convict, Vinay Sharma, is on hunger strike in Tihar jail.