DCW issues notice to Tihar Jail over delay in execution of Nirbhaya rape-murder convicts

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Monday has issued a notice to the Tihar Jail authorities questioning the delay in execution of convicts in the Nirbhaya murder case. 

Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal had earlier also claimed the long winding legal process allowed the criminals to feel they can get away with such henious crimes. She had urged the PM to bring in a legislation wherein at least those convicted of raping minors are given death penalty within six months.

The SC had in July upheld the death penalty awarded to three convicts in the infamous gangrape and murder case. Three of the four convicts - Mukesh (29), Pawan Gupta (22) and Vinay Sharma (23) - who are on death row had filed a review petition against their punishment. The apex court while delivering the verdict had said that the death row convicts failed to point out "error" in the judgement. 

Nirbhaya was gangraped on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 inside a running bus in South Delhi by six persons and severely assaulted before being thrown out on the road. She succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

One of the accused in the case, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar jail in Delhi. A juvenile, who was among the accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board. He was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term.