Notice issued to Nirbhaya convicts on death warrant

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) A Delhi court on Tuesday issued notice to four convicts in Nirbhaya rape and murder case on an application filed by the Delhi government and Tihar jail authorities seeking issuance of a fresh date for their hanging.The court was told that "no legal remedy" is preferred by the convicts during the one-week time granted to them by the Delhi High Court.The High Court had on February 5 given them a weeks' time to avail of their legal remedies. The time period ended on Tuesday following which the city government and jail authorities moved the court.The matter is slated to be heard at 2 p.m. tomorrow.The case pertains to the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old girl in the national capital in December 2012.The execution of the four convicts, originally scheduled for January 22, was postponed to February 1. But it was deferred again on January 31 after Mukesh filed an application before a Delhi court contending that other convicts are yet to avail of the legal remedies and that they cannot be hanged separately.Three of the four convicts -- Vinay, Akshay and Mukesh -- have exhausted their legal remedies. The fourth convict, Pawan, has not yet availed of the remedy of curative and mercy petitions, which will be the last judicial and constitutional resort for him.
--IANS aka/prs