Asha Devi, the mother of the 2012 Delhi gangrape victim broke down in court on Wednesday as she demanded a fresh death warrant for the four convicts in the case – Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma.
“I am here from one and a half years, I am here and waiting for them to avail their legal remedies. However, even I am victim’s mother, and even I have some rights. I would request you to please issue the death warrant,” she was quoted as saying.
The court was hearing a plea by Pawan Gupta. Gupta’s father pleaded before the court that no lawyer is willing to take the case of his son and sought time.
Even though Nirbhaya’s father objected to the plea, Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana said he has to follow the law. “This court is of the opinion that any of the condemned convict is entitled for legal aid till his last breath,” said the judge.
After asking for a lawyer to be finalised for Gupta, the court posted the matter for hearing on Thursday which left Asha Devi angry and in tears.
However, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmed and amicus curiae Vrinda Grover are of the opinion that a death warrant can be issued. “Since there is nothing pending in the court of law, the execution date can be fixed,” said Grover.
A 23-year-old physiotherapy student was violently gangraped in 2012 in a moving bus in Delhi by six men. She died of extensive injuries 13 days later at Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital. One of the convicts, Ram Singh, committed suicide in 2013 in jail whereas a minor accused was given a maximum punishment of three years as per the Juvenile Justice laws.
