Nirbhaya case: Delhi court adjourns hearing on issuance of death warrant till Feb 17

Delhi's Patiala House Court has adjourned the hearing on the plea of Nirbhaya's parents seeking issuance of the death warrant citing that a petition challenging the rejection of mercy plea of convict Vinay is pending before the Supreme Court. However, the matter has been listed for next hearing on February 17.

New Delhi: A Delhi court has adjourned for February 17 the hearing on the plea of the state and Nirbhaya's parents seeking issuance of the death warrant, as a petition challenging the rejection of mercy plea of convict Vinay is pending before the Supreme Court.

The lawyers of the victim's parents have objected to adjourning the matter for February 17, and have asked for hearing the matter on February 15.

The Patiala House Court observed that Article 21 of the Constitution protects the life and liberty of the convicts until the last breath of life.

Read:|SC rejects Nirbhaya convict's request to pursue recommendation for rejection of mercy plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved the order on the issue of rejection of mercy petition of Vinay Kumar Sharma, one of the convicts in Nirbhaya gang-rape case.

A bench of Justice R Banumathi heard the case and the order has been reserved for Friday at 2 pm.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Delhi government, said that convict Vinay Sharma was not kept in solitary confinement as it was argued by convict's lawyer AP Singh in the Supreme Court.

The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutalising of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. She died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.

One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case.

ANI report

Read:|Nirbhaya's mother protests outside court over delay in hanging of convicts