Convict moves review petition with juvenility claim: Nirbhaya case

New Delhi, Jan 31 (HS): One of the death row convicts, Pawan Gupta, in the Nirbhaya’s gang rape cum murder case, on Friday, has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss his claim that he was a juvenile at the time of the gruesome rape and murder case that shook the nation in 2012. Pawan Gupta and three others were scheduled to be hanged on February 1.

This is not the first time when Pawan Gupta has filed a plea in the supreme court claiming that he was a juvenile at the time of the incident. But the Court had rejected his plea earlier saying the issue had been decided on the basis of documents and cannot be re-exercised.

Yet, Pawan Gupta has once again filed a review petition just a day ahead of his scheduled hanging along with the three other convicts.

The death row convicts had on Thursday moved a trial court with a plea to adjourn the February 1 execution “sine die” saying they are yet to avail their remaining legal remedies. The Supreme Court dismissed the third curative petition on Thursday.

Of the four convicts, Mukesh Kumar Singh has exhausted all his legal remedies, including the clemency plea which was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17.

The Supreme Court guidelines also stipulate that convicts cannot be hanged until 14 days after their mercy plea has been rejected by the President.