Nirbhaya case: Court dismisses two convicts' plea to stay execution; Pawan moves mercy petition

A Delhi court on Monday dismissed the pleas of two of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case who were seeking a stay on the execution of death warrants, scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana rejected the applications of Akshay Singh and Pawan Kumar Gupta.

After the order was passed, Gupta's lawyer, A P Singh, told the court that a mercy plea has been filed by his client before the President and therefore, his execution ought to be stayed.

The court, thereafter, asked Singh to come after lunch to argue on the point.

The lawyer also said he filed the mercy plea after getting information that the Supreme Court had dismissed Gupta's curative petition.

Earlier in the day, the apex court dismissed the petition, saying no case is made out on the curative petition filed by convict Gupta.