As the day of hanging for the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case coming closer, the Tihar jail authorities have written to them regarding the final meeting with their families.
After a long legal battle fought by Nirbhaya’s parents, a Delhi court had ordered March 3 as the date of execution for the convicts.
“Given in writing to the four accused about their final meeting with family. Informed Mukesh and Pawan that they have already availed the final meeting. Asked Akshay and Pawan to indicate their date of final meeting. Apart from this the regular meetings of twice a week is continuing for all of them,” a jail official said.
In its order on February 17, the court had ordered that the four death row convicts will be hanged “by the neck until they are dead” on March 3 at 6 am. Court’s order came after observing that deferring the execution any further would be sacrilegious to the victim’s rights.
“Article 21 merely guarantees an opportunity to the condemned convicts to exercise their legal rights. However, whether to utilise this opportunity is a matter of choice. The executions were deferred twice… deferring them any further would be sacrilegious to the rights of the victim for expeditious justice,” the court said.
Vinay Sharma, one of the convicts, has filed a plea seeking treatment at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS).
Sharma’s counsel, AP Singh, had told the court that his client suffers from mental illness, schizophrenia. He was not able to recognise his counsel and family, he claimed.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana was hearing a petition seeking the issuance of a fresh date for the execution of the death warrants in the case.
It is to be noted that one of the convicts, Pawan has not yet availed the legal remedy of curative or mercy petition.