Nirbhaya: Tihar authorities can seek fresh death warrants says SC

New Delhi, Feb 11: The Supreme Court said that the death warrants issued in the Nirbhaya case is to be kept in abeyance if mercy petitions are pending. The Delhi High Court had given the killers a week's time to file a mercy petition.

Since one of the four killers has not filed a mercy petition, the Tihar jail authorities can seek a fresh death warrant for all four from the trial court, the SC also said. The court also said that none of the four convicts has taken any steps within one week. Hence the authorities are allowed to move for the death warrant.

The SC has posted the matter for Thursday while observing that the petition of the Centre to hang the killers separately would not preclude trial court to issue appropriate orders.