Ahead of hanging, Nirbhaya case convict Akshay’s wife moves court for divorce

‘Can’t lead rest of the life as a widow’, says Akshay's wife

Punita, wife of Nirbhaya case accused Akshay Thakur, on Tuesday moved a lower court in Bihar seeking divorce from her incarcerated husband who is slated to be hanged on March 20.

Punita, who stays with her in-laws at Akshay’s ancestral place in Bihar’s Aurangabad district, has moved a family court seeking separation from Akshay as she does not want to lead the life of a widow.

In her petition filed at a lower court in Aurangabad, 32-year-old Punita has pleaded before the judge Ram Lal Sharma that her husband will be sent to gallows on Friday. “Though I believe Akshay is not guilty in the much-publicised rape case, but the court of law has awarded him death sentence and he will be hanged on March 20. I want divorce from him as I don’t want to lead the rest of my life as a widow,”(sic) she told the court through her petition. Punita has a nine-year-old son.

The court has fixed March 19 as the next date of hearing, a day before Akshay will be hanged.

“There is a provision under Section 13 (2) in the Hindu Marriage Act under which a woman can seek divorce in special circumstances (which include if a man is held guilty in rape case)” said her lawyer MK Singh.

Notably, the Delhi-based lawyer AP Singh, representing three out of four accused in Nirbhaya case, has now moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking stay on the execution of death sentence, scheduled for March 20.

President Ram Nath Kovind has already rejected the mercy petitions of all four convicts, including Akshay.