New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday issued a notice to the Tihar Jail authorities for hearing on Monday at 10 am on an application by two convicts in the Nirbhaya case to stay the death warrant for their hanging on Tuesday.
The application was filed by advocate AP Singh stating that Pawan Gupta has filed a curative petition listed by the Supreme Court on Monday and a 'complete' mercy plea has been placed before the President of India on behalf of Akshay Kumar Singh.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana, who had filed the death warrant on Febrfuary 17, pulled up the lawyer for not bringing on record in the application that the President has already rejected Akshay's mercy petition and whether the law permits second mercy petition. He asked the lawyer to file a complete application pursuant to the rejection of the mercy plea described by him as not having complete facts. Judge said he can't understand what is complete and what is incomplete.
The Court also asked Singh to file a fresh 'vakalatnama' for Pawan Gupta since he had been earlier discharged as his counsel and it had already appointed advocate Ravi Qazi in his place. Singh said he had filed the curative petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of Pawan and he was back to represent him again.
