Nirbhaya case convict files curative petition in Supreme Court

Friday, February 28: Pawan Gupta, one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, on Friday filed a curative plea in the Supreme Court against his death sentence. 

A five-judge bench led by Justice N.V. Ramana is scheduled to hear the petition on March 2. The date of execution of their death sentence is March 3 at 6 a.m.

Gupta’s lawyer, advocate A.P. Singh, told the media that he was a juvenile at the time of the crime and was not present at the place of crime. He was at a park attending a musical show, he claimed. The petition said the court did not follow the principles of natural justice while confirming his death sentence.

The other three convicts — Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Kumar Singh and Akshay Thakur — seemed to have exhausted their legal remedies. Gupta has also not filed a plea for clemency with the President.

Recently, the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition filed by Sharma, challenging the rejection of his mercy plea by the President in the case.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bench-to-hear-pawans-plea-on-march-2/article30952957.ece