Nirbhaya: Delhi govt recommends Centre to reject mercy plea of rape convict

New Delhi, Jan 15: In a major setback that may delay the execution of the convicts of 2012's December 16 case, the Delhi government on Wednesday recommended rejecting the mercy plea filed by Mukesh Singh, one of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, sources said.

They said the recommendation on the mercy plea of 32-year-old Singh will now be sent to the Union Home Ministry. The recommendation comes a day after Singh filed the petition.

Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal were told by the Delhi government and the Centre that the petition filed by convict Mukesh, challenging his death warrant, was premature.

Advocate Rahul Mehra, Standing Counsel for Tihar Jail authorities said, 'Execution of convicts(2012 Nirbhaya case) will surely not take place on January 22'. He further stated that the fate of a death convict comes to finality only after his mercy plea is rejected by the President.

'It can only take place 14 days after the mercy plea is rejected as we are bound by the rule which says that a notice of 14 days must be provided to the convicts after the rejection of mercy plea,' he added.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected Mukesh Singh's curative plea. Then he moved the Delhi High Court to set aside and also filed a mercy plea before President Ram Nath Kovind.

The four convicts - Vinay Sharma (26), Mukesh Kumar (32), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) - are to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar jail as a Delhi court issued their death warrants on January 7.