Review rejected by SC: Nirbhaya's Killer closer to the gallows

New Delhi, Dec 18: The Supreme Court on Wednesday has rejected the last pending mercy review petition filed by Akshay Kumar Singh, one of the killers in the Nirbhaya case.

The review was heard by Justice A S Bopanna, Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan. The bench held that there was no scope for review. Justice Banumathi said,"We have given due consideration to grounds. Petitioner has sought to assail evidence. These grounds considered earlier.

During the hearing held at morning, Advocate A P Singh, Akshay Kumar Singh's lawyer, submitted that the investigation was faulty and that his client was booked out of media and political pressure.

It may be recalled that Kumar, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh and Ram Singh were convicted for the rape and murder of Nirbhaya. While Ram Singh killed himself in jail, another person, a minor served a three year term at a reformation centre.

Kumar's review petition has some weird points in them. He questioned why he was put on the death row, when the air pollution in Delhi was anyway killing people. He also cites the Vedas and Puranas in his plea.

Meanwhile, the black warrant has been issued and preparations are already underway at the Tihar jail to hang the convicts. The four convicts will have to be hanged at the same time since it is a common crime that they have been convicted under.

The Tihar jail authorities have already called for two hangmen from Uttar Pradesh. While UP has two hangmen, Tihar does not have one on its payrolls. Apart from this the Tihar jail authorities have asked the Buxar jail authorities in Bihar to prepare the hanging ropes.