The Delhi High Court had earlier held that the four convicts cannot be hanged separately. While holding so, the High Court also granted a period of seven days to the convicts to exercise the legal remedies that are available to them.
The Supreme Court today deferred the hearing on the Centre's plea for allowing separate execution of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya rape case.
The Delhi High Court on February 5 had held that the four convicts cannot be hanged separately. While holding so, the High Court also granted a period of seven days to the convicts to exercise whatever legal remedies are available to them.
The Supreme Court Bench of Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and AS Bopanna today said that the Court would hear Centre's plea, however, after the one week period has lapsed.
The Court observed that while the convicts cannot he forced to exercise their legal remedies, the Court would wait till February 11 noting the possibility that the convicts could move to exhaust their remedies by then.
The Apex Court will now hear the matter next on February 11 at 2PM.
In a related development, the Tihar jail authorities have moved the Additional Sessions Court at the Patiala House Courts seeking a date for execution of the four death row convicts. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana had sought a response from the convicts in the application and listed the matter for hearing today.
The application was moved under Section 413 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in view of fact that mercy petitions preferred by convicts, Mukesh, Vinay and Akshay have been rejected by the President and convict Pawan has not filed any such plea.
