Asha Devi, mother of 2012 gang-rape and murder case of the paramedic student asked the court, "What about my rights?"
Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana expressed dis-satisfaction over delay, this time from one of the four convicts, Pawan Gupta, who said he has abandoned his earlier lawyer and sought time to hire a new one. Lately, Delhi Court has adjourned the hearing for Thursday and sought hearing on pleas seeking fresh death warrants against four convicts.
However, when Pawan Gupta informed that he has no lawyer, the Delhi Court offered to give him legal aid in pronto. These are all tactics to further postpone the case, claimed Nirbhaya's mother.
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"I have been asking the court for one-and-a-half years to get their legal remedies cleared. You didn't issue death warrant date last time because there was one week's time given by HC. Now they are here without a lawyer. I am the mother of the victim. I'm here with folded hands asking for justice. What about my rights," asked Asha Devi.
To this, the judge replied, "Everyone is conscious of your rights. That is why these proceedings are happening."
Nirbhaya's mother's lawyer continued to argue that these are deliberate moves to delay the hanging, as till Monday, AP Singh was the lawyer for the convicts and today Pawan Gupta doesn't have a lawyer.
However, the judge tried to reason that the convict is legally entitled for legal aid. "We can offer him legal aid at best. What are the other options available," the judge sought to know.
Nirbhaya's father then told the court that giving them a legal aid counsel will be an injustice for Nirbhaya. In response to it, judge said, not giving them a lawyer will be an injustice.
At first, the date of execution was fixed for January 22 in Tihar jail, which later postponed to February 1 as ordered by January 17 court. On January 31, the trial court put stay on the execution "till further orders" of the four convicts in the case, who are lodged in Tihar Jail.
On Tuesday, a status report had filed by the Tihar jail authorities before the trial court stating that no legal option was preferred by any convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31) -- in last seven-day period, granted by the Delhi High Court.
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