Don't encourage Nirbhaya case convicts, HC tells media house wishing to interview them

Delhi HC told a media house, wishing to interview the Nirbhaya gang-rape convicts that media should not encourage the accused as they have made a mockery of the system.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Thursday said to a media house, desirous of interviewing the four death-row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, "do not encourage them" as they have made a "mockery of the system".

"They have made a mockery of the system. Please do not encourage them," the court said.

The observation by Justice Navin Chawla came while hearing the media house' plea for permission to interview the four convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Kumar Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) -- who are to be hanged on March 20.

The media house, in its petition, has also challenged the Tihar Jail's rejection of their application seeking permission to interview the four death row convicts.

It has also claimed the purpose behind the interview "was to have a deterrent effect on such crimes in the future".

It said the application for permission was moved before the prison authorities on February 25 and it was denied by the Tihar Jail on February 27.

The court listed the matter for hearing on March 11.

(PTI report)