The Friday morning encounter of all the four accused in the brutal rape-and-murder case of a 25-year-old woman veterinarian last month in Hyderabad triggered a nationwide debate on justice delivery, with one side supporting it as speedy justice and the other raising concerns over 'extra-judicial' measures. Here is a look at the legal status of some rape cases which shook the country.
The Buxar jail, the only prison in the state having the required knowhow, received an instruction to the effect last week
The HC has issued a notice to Tihar jail authorities and the Nirbhaya convicts and sought their response on a plea moved by the Centre challenging the stay on their execution.
Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana issued notice to Tihar Jail authorities on the pleas moved of Akshay Singh and Pawan Kumar Gupta, directing the officials to file their response by March 2.
Muhammed Ameerul Islam was found guilty for raping and murdering the 30-year-old Dalit law student in Kerala last year.
As the prosecution failed to produce evidence against the accused, the Additional District and Sessions Court II acquitted the Bishop.
The mercy petitions of three convicts -- Mukesh, Vinay and Akshay -- have already been dismissed by the President.
Cruelty by the husband (or his relatives) accounted for about 40 per cent of these cases. Delhi reported the highest number of cases of crimes against women (12,552) followed by Mumbai with over 5,000 cases.
The MHA's plea sought a direction from the top court in fixing the deadline for filing of curative pleas after the rejection of review petitions. The MHA submitted that the top court should 'mandate all the competent courts, state governments, prison authorities in the country to issue death warrant of a convict within seven days of the rejection of his mercy petition.
On January 20, the apex court had rejected the plea by Pawan who had challenged the Delhi high court's order dismissing his juvenility claim.
The judge passed the order on the plea by the convicts seeking adjournment of the executions 'sine die'. The four were scheduled to be hanged on February 1 at 6 am. This is for the second time that the execution of the death warrants has been deferred.
Allowing an appeal filed by the 35-year-old man, Justices A Muhamed Mustaque and Kauser Edappagath held that this was not a case of forcible sexual act as against her will but a sexual act on a promise to marry where the consent is implicit.
A special court has declined to discharge a police officer from charges of failing to record a rape complaint against BJP ex-MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in 2017 by a minor victim, officials said.
"When an authority does not have the jurisdiction to deal with a matter or it is not within the powers of the authority i.e. the State of Gujarat in the instant case, to be the appropriate Government to pass orders of remission under Section 432 of the CrPC, the orders of remission would have no legs to stand," it added.
The fourth convict, Pawan Gupta, has not filed a curative petition, which he still can if he chooses.
It said since the appellant at present would be more than 20 years old, there was no requirement of sending him to the Juvenile Justice Board or any other child care facility or institution.
The trial court had awarded him the maximum punishment of life term with a rider that the convict will remain in jail for "remainder of his natural biological life" and also imposed an exemplary fine of Rs 25 lakh on him to be paid within a month.
The Centre and the Delhi government challenged the trial court's January 31 order staying 'till further orders' the execution of all the four convicts in the case. The parents of the victim urged the court to expeditiously decide the Centre's plea and were assured by the judge that the order would be passed at the earliest.
Singh, who is serving a 20-year jail term after being convicted in two rape cases, has been charged along with doctors Pankaj Garg and M P Singh.
'The present generation, either due to historical amnesia or political propaganda, has been fed a narrative that paints India as an adversary rather than an ally.'
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Prashant Kumar Mishra noted, in accordance with its May 9 order, notices have been published in local newspapers, including those in Gujarati and English, against the convicts who could not be served (the notice).
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved verdict on a plea of one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President.
The plea claimed that Singh was arrested from Rajasthan and brought to Delhi on December 17, 2012, and was not present in the city on December 16, when the crime took place.
As the last-ditch attempt, Mukesh through his counsel on Tuesday sought an urgent hearing on his plea against dismissal of the mercy plea before the top court.
The CJI said one of his relatives had earlier appeared on behalf of the victim's mother in the case and observed that it would be appropriate that some other bench hear the review plea at 10:30 am.
Supreme Court judgement pronounced on Monday quashing the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to 11 convicts in the case of gang-rape of Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 riots in the state, said the orders were "stereotyped".
Pawan Gupta is the only convict among the four who has not yet filed the curative petition and other legal remedies available to him.
She hoped there would be a transformation in the country with a "different kind of society" where women need not live in an atmosphere of fear.
'What did these men mean to the government? What does its support for these men say about this government?'
A curative petition is the last legal remedy available to a convict. In his plea, Vinay Sharma has said his young age has been erroneously rejected as a mitigating circumstance. The review pleas of all the convicts have been rejected by the SC and they're set to be hanged on January 22.
Singh had moved the mercy plea after the Supreme Court dismissed his curative petition against his conviction and death sentence. The apex court had also rejected the curative petition of another death row convict Akshay Kumar, 31.
Gupta, against whom the death warrant has been issued for execution along with three other condemned prisoners on March 3, has filed the curative plea saying that the death penalty should not awarded to him, his counsel A P Singh said.
The plea claims that the recommendation sent to the President to reject the mercy plea did not contain the signature of Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain.
A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and M R Shah held Singh's plea as not maintainable saying that the review petition and the curative petition have both been dismissed in the case.
The woman's father died in judicial custody in April 2018.
The petition sought recording of calls, documents and reports by an investigating agency like CBI and to declare that the convict has legal and constitutional rights to approach any court at any time even in the last minute of hanging.
India can work with the existing rape laws, but what is important is timely implementation, emphasise experts.
The top court said the faith of people in the efficacy of law is the saviour and succour for the sustenance of the rule of law.
"Why are our jails overcrowded? Why is the the policy of remission being applied selectively?"
'She had the courage to not cow down before the entire law and order apparatus, to remain sane and human despite inhuman suffering meted out to her and her family.'
