Two more convicts in Delhi gang rape case move SC

The remaining two convicts in the Dec 16, 2012 Delhi gang rape case -- Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur -- have moved the Supreme Court, seeking stay on execution of their death sentence.

The petition in this regard was filed by Sharma and Thakur Monday. The two have followed Mukesh and Pawan Gupta who moved the apex court March 15 challenging the March 13 order of the Delhi High Court, upholding their death sentence by a fast track court.

A bench of Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh, in an interim order at a special sitting, stayed the execution of their death sentence March 15.

In the last hearing of the plea by Mukesh and Gupta, the apex court bench of Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice J. Chelameswar April 28, 2014, asked the Delhi government to place before it all the records, including those of the trial court, along with their English translations in the case.

While seeking the records along with their English translations, court directed the listing of the matter in the second week of July for final hearing.

The Delhi High Court bench of Justice Reva Khetrapal and Justice Pratibha Rani March 13, 2014 upheld the death sentence of Mukesh and Pawan along with two other convicts.

"Society's abhorrence to atrocious crimes perpetrated upon innocent and helpless victims has resulted in the death penalty being retained on the statute book to remind such criminals that human life is very precious and one who dares to take the life of others must lose his own life," the high court had said in its order.

Mukesh, Gupta, Sharma, Thakur and Ram Singh along with a juvenile were accused of gang rape and assault on a 23-year-old paramedical student inside a private bus. The victim and her friend were thrown out of the bus after the crime.

Ram Singh allegedly committed suicide while in incarceration.

The victim died of grave intestinal injuries Dec 29, 2012 at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital.