Zero Hour notice in RS on Nirbhaya convicts hanging

Facing flak from different quarters on the delay in hanging of the four Nirbhaya convicts, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh has given notice in the Rajya Sabha to raise the matter during zero hour.

Singh in his notice has demanded for the expeditation of the execution of the four Nirbhaya convict that has been delayed twice once on January 22 and then on February 1.

The matter has been reserved by the Delhi High Court.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the AAP for the delay in the execution of the four men who were among the six who gang raped the 23-year-old victim brutally on December 16, 2012 that finally led to her death a month later.

Nirbhaya''s father has also said that the AAP government in Delhi is delaying the execution which has become a political issue. Delhi goes to vote on February 8.

The AAP has countered the allegation and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has even demanded a new law under which rape convicts must be executed within six months of their sentencing.

The central government on February 2, told the Delhi High Court that the indefinite stay imposed on the execution of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case was a "deliberate, well-calculated and well-thought out attempt to frustrate the process of law" and that there should be "no delay" in their hanging.

The bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait held a special court on the weekend. It reserved its order on the Centre''s plea.

Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said: "In the interest of the society and victim, there should be no delay. Even in the case of the convicts, the Supreme Court says that there should be no delay as it would have dehumanising effect on the convict."

He also presented a chart before the court explaining the legal remedies availed by the four death row convicts till now.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) challenging the stay imposed by the sessions court on the hanging of -- Vinay, Akshay, Mukesh and Pawan -- convicted for raping the medical student seven years back.

Their hanging, originally scheduled for 7 a.m. January 22, was postponed to February 1 at 6 a.m. but deferred again on January 31 after Mukesh filed an application before a Delhi court contending that other convicts were yet to avail the legal remedies and could not be hanged separately.