Nirbhaya convict approaches SC challenging its earlier order dismissing juvenility plea

One of the death row convicts in Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, Pawan Gupta, on Friday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging its earlier order which dismissed his juvenile plea.

The apex court had on January 20, rejected Gupta's petition challenging a Delhi High Court order, which had dismissed his claim of being a juvenile at the time of the offence. The top court had observed that there were no grounds to interfere with the High Court order.

Earlier, Pawan had claimed that he was a juvenile at the time of the crime and that the Delhi High Court had ignored this fact.

AP Singh, the convict's lawyer, had stated that Pawan's age was 17 years, 1 month and 20 days when the offence was committed, that's why his role should be considered as a juvenile in the case.

The Delhi High Court had rejected the review petition of Pawan and he had challenged this before the apex court on January 17.

Meanwhile, a plea is also being heard in a Delhi court seeking a stay on the execution of the convicts contending that none of those convicted in a case can be hanged until all of them have exhausted all legal options available to them.

Four convicts -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma -- are facing execution on February 1.

The case pertains to the gang-rape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the chilling night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.

One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case.