Convict's Review Plea in Supreme Court : CJI recuses from hearing in Nirbhaya case

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India SA Bobde recused himself from hearing the review petition filed by Akshay Kumar, one of the four men convicted in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case and adjourned the matter till Wednesday.

The CJI said he will constitute a bench on Wednesday at 10.30 am and the new bench will take up the review plea filed by Kumar against capital punishment at 2 pm. He recused himself saying that his nephew had once appeared on behalf of the victim.

Justices R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan were the other judges on the bench that was to hear the case on Tuesday.

In his petition, Kumar had sought clemency on the bizarre ground that life in Delhi is anyway becoming short due to rising air and water pollution.

The bench will also hear the counsel appearing for the victim's mother who has moved the top court opposing the plea.

Nirbhaya's parents were also present in the Supreme Court on Tuesday for the hearing.

Akshay Kumar along with Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh, and Ram Singh were convicted of the brutal gang-rape and murder of the 23-year-old physiotherapy student who came to be called Nirbhaya.