Jail officials keep close watch on Nirbhaya convicts

As the noose around them tightens, the four convicts facing death penalty in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case have shown signs of depression, prompting jail officials to keep a close watch on them to ensure that they do not take any extreme step.

Akshaya, Mukesh, Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma—the convicts—are clutching to the all possible avenues to avoid the gallows, amid a growing chorus for their immediate hanging following the recent gruesome rape and murder of a 25-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad.

With the Supreme Court dismissing the last pending review petition in the case, the accused has now the option of now filing a curative petition. A mercy petition is also pending before President Ram Nath Kovind. If it is rejected, another option before them is to challenge it in a court of law.

Once these avenues are closed, the authorities can hang them after procuring a death warrant from a local court. Jail officials said that security personnel have been assigned to all the four convicts to keep a watch on them. They said that the convicts are under depression as the move to hang them gathered pace.

Officials are tight-lipped about the preparations and readiness to carry out the execution.

As the news of hanging of the convicts gathered pace, Tihar Jail authorities have received several requests from people who are willing to act as hangman. Tihar Jail does not have a hangman of its own.