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2012 Delhi Gang-Rape Case: Convicts Can't Be Hanged On 22 January, Delhi Govt Tells HC

The Delhi government said that under the rules, it will have to wait for the mercy plea to be decided before executing the death warrant.
NEW DELHI, INDIA - MAY 26: View of Delhi High Court, on May 26, 2015 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Pradeep Gaur/Mint via Getty Images)
Mint via Getty Images
NEW DELHI, INDIA - MAY 26: View of Delhi High Court, on May 26, 2015 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Pradeep Gaur/Mint via Getty Images)

NEW DELHI — The Delhi government on Wednesday told the high court that execution of the death row convicts in the 2012 gang-rape case will not take place on 22 January as a mercy plea has been filed by one of them.

The four convicts — Vinay Sharma (26), Mukesh Kumar (32), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) — were to be hanged on 22 January at 7 am in Tihar jail. A Delhi court had issued their death warrants on 7 January.

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Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal were told by the Delhi government and the Centre that the petition filed by convict Mukesh, challenging his death warrant, was premature.

The Delhi government and the prison authorities informed the court that under the rules, it will have to wait for the mercy plea to be decided before executing the death warrant.

They also said that none of the four convicts can be executed on 22 January unless the present mercy plea is decided.

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday dismissed the curative pleas of Mukesh and Vinay.

The hearing which is going on since morning will continue post-lunch.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.