Nirbhaya case: Delhi court asks Tihar jail to respond to plea for stay on execution

A Delhi court on Thursday asked the Tihar Jail authorities to respond to a plea by death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, for stay on their executions scheduled for February 1.

Special Judge A K Jain directed Tihar Jail Superintendent to file reply on their plea by 10 am on Friday.

Advocate A P Singh, representing three death row convicts -- Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma and Akshay Kumar -- urged the court to adjourn the executions "sine die" as legal remedies of some of the convicts are yet to be availed.

He told the court that while Vinay's mercy petition is pending before the President, the other two convicts -- Akshay and Pawan -- are also currently pursuing legal remedies.

During the brief hearing, the prosecution said the application was a "mockery of justice" and that it was only a delaying tactic.

After rejection of curative petition of Akshay, he still has an option to file a mercy plea before the President. The other convict, Pawan, has not filed the curative petition.

The court, which had fixed January 22 as the date of hanging, re-scheduled it on February 1.