Nirbhaya Case: SC Dismisses Convict Vinay Sharma's Petition

The Supreme Court has dismissed death-row convict in the 2012 Nirbhaya case, Vinay Sharma's petition challenging the rejection of his mercy plea by President Ram Nath Kovind. The apex court has held that there was no merit in the rapist's petition.

The convict was declared as psychologically stable. Further, the Supreme Court has also said that the trial court's order on Monday should be awaited.

Vinay Sharma has now effectively exhausted all legal avenues open to him. Earlier, the Supreme Court had also dismissed a similar petition filed by another death-row convict Mukesh Sharma sentenced to hanging in the same horrific 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court ruled that all the four convicts sentenced to death, Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Singh and Pawan Gupta will be hanged together. Pawan Gupta is now being represented by a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, Anjana Prakash, on the directions of the apex court. The death row convict had sought a change of advocate in pleading his case.

A fresh death warrant or Black Warrant is to be issued by the Patiala House Court scheduling the date of hanging.

Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi, speaking to the media, welcomed the Supreme Court verdict and hoped that all the four death row convicts will be hanged soon.