Nirbhaya Rape Case: Convicts hanging on February 1 unlikely

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Nirbhaya Rape Case: Convicts hanging on February 1 unlikely
Nirbhaya Rape Case: Convicts hanging on February 1 unlikely

New Delhi : Series of twists in Nirbhaya Gangrape case are not coming to an end. For one more time, the hanging of the convicts look unlikely as one of them has filed curative petition challenging his execution using the last legal resort in the Supreme Court.

31-year-old Akshay is the third convict to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court.

Last month, the Supreme Court had rejected Akshay Singh's petition seeking a review of his death sentence after he filed a plea making bizarre claims, including citing Hindu religious texts and the Delhi pollution crisis as reasons why the hanging should not be carried out.

According to a news report, the petition will be heard by Supreme Court in the closed chambers and not in an open court. After the curative petition is rejected, Akshay Singh will have the option to send a mercy plea to President Ram Nath Kovind.

The top court on Wednesday is also likely to give its verdict in a petition by one of the other convicts, Mukesh Kumar Singh, 32, who has challenged the rejection of his mercy request citing "non-application of mind" by the President of India.

Other than Mukesh and Akshay, two other convicts - Vinay Sharma, 26, and Pawan Gupta, 26 – are also due to be executed on Saturday.

The government had asked Supreme Court last week to make a change in the guidelines in death row cases so convicts cannot keep delaying the sentence by exploiting legal options.