Nirbhaya case: Delhi HC reserves its verdict on Centre's plea against stay of execution

The Delhi High Court has reserved its verdict on the Centre's plea challenging stay on the execution of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. Justice Suresh Kait yesterday said, it will pass an order after all the parties conclude their arguments.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and Delhi government told the High Court that there is a deliberate, calculated and well thought design by the convicts to frustrate the mandate of law by getting their execution



delayed. Mr Mehta said the four death row convicts are "not entitled" to any more time, as he cited the 2019 gangrape and murder of a Hyderabad vet in which the four accused were killed by police in an alleged encounter and asserted that the credibility of the judiciary and its own power to execute death sentence are at stake. 

The four convicts contended that since they were sentenced to death by a common order, they have to be executed together and cannot be "singled out".