Thursday, February 13, 2020

Death row convict in Nirbhaya case entitled to legal aid: Court

New Delhi:13.02.2020

A Delhi court on Wednesday offered a counsel to Pawan Gupta, one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, saying a condemned convict is entitled to legal aid till his last breath.

Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana expressed displeasure over delay from Pawan’s side who said he has removed his earlier lawyer and will need time to engage a new one. District legal services authority (DLSA) provided Pawan’s father with a list of its empanelled advocates to choose from.

Pawan has not yet filed a curative petition — the last and final legal remedy available to a person — which is decided in-chamber. He also has the option of filing a mercy plea.

Nirbhaya’s parents and the Delhi government had moved the court on Tuesday seeking fresh death warrants for the four convicts after the Supreme Court granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convicts.

The date of execution, first fixed for January 22 in Tihar jail, was postponed for 6am on February 1 by a January 17 court order. The trial court later, on January 31 stayed, “till further orders” the execution of the four convicts in the case, who are lodged in Tihar Jail.

The Tihar jail authorities had filed a status report on Tuesday before the trial court stating that no legal option was preferred by any convicts — Mukesh Kumar Singh, 32, Pawan Gupta, 25, Vinay Kumar Sharma, 26, and Akshay Kumar, 31— in last sevenday period granted by the Delhi high court. PTI

No comments:

Post a Comment

NEWS TODAY 21.12.2024