New Delhi: The convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case are scheduled to be hanged at Tihar Jail tomorrow morning as a Delhi court on Thursday refused to stay the execution of the death warrant.
The gruesome incident had shaken the conscience of the nation and laws pertaining to crimes against women were reviewed and made more stringent.
Here’s a timeline of the case:
December 16, 2012: A 23-year old girl is raped by six people on a moving bus in Delhi. The brutal incident evokes countrywide condemnation. The victim later succumbs to her injuries while undergoing treatment.
January 3, 2013: Delhi Police filed charge sheet against five accused for offences including murder, gang-rape, attempt to murder, kidnapping, unnatural sex and dacoity. The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) ruled on January 28 that the sixth accused is a minor.
February 2, 2013: The five accused – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh – charged with 13 offences including murder.
March 11, 2013: Ram Singh, the bus driver, found hanging in his cell in Tihar jail.
August 31, 2013: JJB convicts the juvenile for gang-rape and murder and awards three years term at a probation home.
September 10, 2013: Fast track court convicts Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan of 13 offences including gang rape, unnatural sex and murder of the woman and attempt to murder her male friend.
September 13, 2013: Fast track court awards death sentence to all the four convicts. The trial court refers the case to Delhi High Court for confirmation of death sentence.
November 1, 2013: Delhi High Court starts hearing the case on a daily basis.
March 13, 2014: Delhi High Court upholds the death sentence awarded to the four convicts.
December 20, 2015: Delhi High Court refuses to stay the release of the juvenile. He walks out of a correction home after spending three years.
April 3, 2016: The Supreme Court begins hearing the case.
March 27, 2017: The Supreme Court reserves its verdict after nearly a year of hearing the case.
May 5, 2017: The apex court upholds the death penalty of the four accused.
July 9, 2018: The top court rejects review petition filed by Sharma, Gupta and Singh.
October 29, 2019: Tihar Jail gives seven days to convicts to file mercy petition or will go to court and seek a black warrant.
November 8, 2019: Sharma files mercy petition with the Delhi government which is rejected by the Home Department. The file is forwarded to the Chief Secretary on November 29.
December 6, 2019: Delhi government’s recommendation rejecting Sharma’s mercy plea is sent to the President by the Home Ministry.
December 10, 2019: Thakur files a review petition in Supreme Court.
January 7, 2020: A Delhi court issues death warrant against all four convicts for their hanging on January 22.
January 9, 2020: Vinay Kumar Sharma filed a curative petition before the Supreme Court.
January 9, 2020: Mukesh Singh files curative petition before the Supreme Court.
Jan 14, 2020: Convict Mukesh Singh moves mercy petition before President.
January 14, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses curative petition of Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh.
January 14, 2020: Mukesh Kumar approaches Delhi High Court seeking to set aside trial court’s order issuing death warrant.
January 15, 2020: Delhi High Court disposes of Mukesh Singh’s plea seeking to set aside the trial court order issuing the death warrant.
January 15, 2020: Mukesh Kumar approaches a Delhi court seeking to postponement execution due to pending mercy petition.
January 17, 2020: President Ram Nath Kovind rejects mercy petition of Mukesh Singh.
January 17, 2020: Delhi court issues fresh death for execution on February 1 at 6 am.
January 18, 2020: Pawan Gupta files a special leave petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court claiming that he was a juvenile at the time of the crime.
January 20, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses Gupta’s SLP.
January 25, 2020: Mukesh Singh approaches the Supreme Court challenging rejection of mercy petition.
January 28, 2020: Akshay Thakur files curative petition in Supreme Court.
January 29, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses Mukesh Singh’s plea challenging the rejection of mercy.
January 29, 2020: Akshay Thakur files a curative petition before Supreme Court seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment.
January 29, 2020: Vinay Sharma files mercy petition before President Ram Nath Kovind.
January 30, 2020: Convicts move Delhi court seeking a stay on the execution of the convicts scheduled on February 1.
January 30, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses curative petition of Akshay Thakur.
January 31, 2020: Pawan Gupta files a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging its earlier order which dismissed his juvenile plea
January 31, 2020: Delhi court stays till further orders the execution of the Nirbhaya convicts
January 31, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses Pawan Gupta’s petition challenging its earlier order which dismissed his juvenile plea.
February 1, 2020: President rejects mercy petition of Vinay Sharma.
February 1, 2020: Akshay Thakur files mercy petition before the President.
February 5, 2020: Delhi High Court grants a week’s time to convicts to avail all legal remedies.
February 5, 2020: President rejects mercy petition of Akshay Thakur.
February 6, 2020: Tihar jail authorities on Thursday approached a trial court in Delhi seeking a fresh date for the execution.
February 7, 2020: A Delhi court dismissed fresh date for execution of convicts.
February 11, 2020: Vinay Sharma files writ petition before Supreme Court challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President.
February 14, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses Vinay Sharma’s petition challenging the rejection of mercy petition.
February 15, 2020: Supreme Court rejects Vinay Sharma’s plea seeking a review of the rejection of his mercy petition.
February 17, 2020: Delhi Court gave March 3 as the fresh date for execution of all four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case.
February 20, 2020: Nirbhaya convicts file a complaint before the Election Commission of India because the mercy petition of Vinay Sharma was forwarded to the President at a time when Model Code of Conduct was in force in Delhi.
February 28, 2020: Pawan Gupta files a curative petition before the Supreme Court seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment.
February 29, 2020: Akshay Thakur moves “complete” mercy petition, claiming that the petition filed by him earlier, and which was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind, was “incomplete”.
March 2, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses curative petition filed by Pawan Kumar Gupta.
March 2, 2020: Delhi court stays execution of convicts.
March 4, 2020: President Ram Nath Kovind rejects mercy petition of Pawan Gupta.
March 5, 2020: Delhi court issues fresh death warrant for March 20 at 5:30 am.
March 6, 2020: The present lawyer of Mukesh Singh files a petition against his former lawyer in Supreme Court.
March 12, 2020: Family members of the convicts write to President seeking permission for euthanasia.
March 16, 2020: Three of the four convicts approached International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking a stay on the execution.
March 16, 2020: Supreme Court dismissed Mukesh Singh’s petition seeking action against his former lawyer.
March 17, 2020: Delhi court dismisses Mukesh Singh’s petition seeking quashing of death penalty claiming that he was not in Delhi when the crime was committed.
March 18, 2020: Mukesh approaches Delhi High Court challenging trial court order.
March 18, 2020: The wife of Akshay Singh Thakur files divorce petition in Bihar court.
March 19, 2020: Akshay Thakur moves Supreme Court challenging rejection of mercy petition.
March 19, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses Mukesh Singh’s petition challenging a Delhi High Court’s order.
March 19, 2020: Delhi court refuses to stay the execution, scheduled for March 20.
March 19, 2020: Supreme Court dismisses Akshay Thakur’s petition challenging the rejection of mercy petition by President. (ANI)
