Nirbhaya convicts' hanging: My daughter has finally got justice, says victim's mother Asha Devi

Minutes after Delhi's Patiala Court issued death warrant for all four convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case and ordered that the death row convicts should be hanged at 7 am on January 22, Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi reacted with joy to the court's verdict and said that her struggle of seven years has finally ended.

New Delhi: Minutes after Delhi's Patiala Court issued death warrant for all four convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case and ordered that the death row convicts should be hanged at 7 am on January 22, Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi erupted with joy and said that her struggle of seven years has finally ended. 

Asha Devi added that her daughter has got justice and the hanging of four convicts will empower the women of the country. "My daughter has got justice. Execution of the four convicts will empower the women of the country. This decision will strengthen the trust of people in the judicial system," said Asha Devi.

"I am happy with the court's decision. The convicts will be hanged at 7 am on 22nd January. This decision will instill fear in people who commit such crimes," said Badrinath Singh, father of Nirbhaya. 

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora, who issued the death warrants, said the convicts can use their legal remedies within 14 days. The judge has called the SHO of Tilak Marg police station before delivering the verdict. The judge talked to all the convicts and told them to put forward their claims. The convicts' lawyer AP Singh said that we will file curative petition in Supreme Court. The convicts were produced before the court through video conferencing.

In December 2019, Nirbhaya's mother had moved the Supreme Court to oppose a review plea by one of the four men sentenced to death in the case. On December 18, the Tihar Jail authorities had issued a notice to the convicts to file their mercy petition within seven days.

Earlier, the Patiala House court had adjourned the hearing on the issuance of death warrants against the convicts till January 7, giving them a week’s time to know if the four convicts were filing mercy pleas. This had come hours after the Supreme Court dismissed the last review plea against capital punishment.