Nirbhaya case: Four convicts to be hanged on March 20

The Delhi court has fixed a fresh date of execution of  four convicts of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case. The four convicts - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) are to be hanged at 5.30 am on March 20, 2020.

On March 4, the Delhi government moved to city court seeking a fresh date for the execution of the four convicts, saying all their legal remedies were exhausted.

Also read: Nirbhaya case: Delhi govt recommends trashing mercy plea of convict

"As convicts in Nirbhaya case have exhausted legal remedies, court may proceed to fix date for execution of their death sentence," Delhi government said.

Asha Devi, mother of 2012 gang-rape victim also hoped that the convicts would be hanged on the designated date.

"The morning of March 20 will be the morning of our lives," Asha Devi said on Thursday.

Lately, President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy plea Pawan Gupta - one of the four convicts. The President had already rejected the mercy petitions of Mukesh, Vinay and Akshay.

The execution of the death warrants of the four convicts has been deferred thrice so far.

On December 16, 2012, a paramedical student was gang-raped and brutally assaulted by six men in a private bus and thrown out of the moving vehicle along with her male friend.

Six people, including the four convicts and a juvenile, were named as accused. Ram Singh, one of the sixth accused, committed suicide in Tihar jail days after the trial began in the case.

The juvenile was released in 2015 after spending three years in a correctional home.

Also read: Nirbhaya case: Loopholes responsible for delay in justice, says Shiv Sena

Also read: Nirbhaya case: Accused Vinay Sharma attempts to hurt himself inside jail