SC defers hearing to Friday on Centre’s plea seeking separate execution of Nirbhaya convicts

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Photo for representation only.

New Delhi, February 13: The Supreme Court deferred the hearing on the Centre’s plea seeking separate execution of four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case to Friday and asked the convicts to file their counter-replies by then.

A bench of Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and AS Bopanna appointed senior advocate Anjana Prakash as amicus curiae on Thursday to represent convict Pawan Kumar Gupta.

The bench said it is deferring the hearing till 2 pm on Friday in wake of a trial court order on Wednesday, which directed the District Legal Services Authority to provide Gupta’s father with a list of its empanelled advocates to choose from to represent the convict.

Gupta is the only convict who has not yet filed a curative petition — the last legal remedy available to a person which is decided in-chamber. He also has the option of filing a mercy plea against the death sentence. PTI