[Breaking] Delhi Court orders execution of Nirbhaya death row convicts on March 20 at 5.30 am

The Additional Sessions Court today issued fresh death warrant against the four convicts in Nirbhaya gang rape case.

As per the warrant, the four convicts ie. Akshay, Pawan, Mukesh and Vinay will be hanged on March 20 at 5.30 am.

The Tihar Jail Authorities had moved the Additional Sessions Court yesterday for issuance of a fresh date for execution of death warrant, hours after the President rejected the mercy petition of the fourth convict in the Nirbhaya case, Pawan Gupta.

Earlier this week, the Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana had stayed the execution of the death warrant in view of the pendency of Pawan's mercy petition.

The mercy petitions of other three convicts, Mukesh, Akshay and Vinay had already been rejected by the President earlier

The death warrant issued today marks the fourth such execution order issued in the case. The convicts were earlier scheduled to be hanged on March 3 at 6 am, as per the last death warrant issued on February 17,

The first death warrant against the four convicts was issued on January 7 and the convicts were to be hanged on January 22 at 7 pm. Later, the execution was deferred given the pendency of Mukesh's mercy plea at the time. A second warrant was issued on January 17 for the execution of the convicts on February 1.