A Delhi court Friday issued fresh death warrants for February 1, 6 am against the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora was hearing a plea by one of the four death row convicts in the case, Mukesh Kumar Singh, seeking postponement of the date of his execution scheduled for January 22.

Earlier in the day, the Tihar jail authorities sought issuance of fresh death warrants against the four convicts.

Public Prosecutor Irfan Ahmed told the court that Mukesh’s mercy plea was rejected by President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday.

“It’s a very good thing. Our hopes have gone up after the disheartening news that the execution might be delayed,” the young woman’s father told PTI as news came in of the rejection. “We are happy that the chances of them getting hanged have increased. We are assured that as soon as they file mercy pleas they will be rejected,” he said.

He said the news of the execution not happening on January 22 had disheartened them but Friday’s developments have heightened their hopes.

“There is a hearing at 3.30 PM at Patiala House Court and this development will have a positive impact on it. Kal jo nirasha thi woh aaj asha mein badal gayi hai (Yesterday’s disappointment has turned into hope today),” he added.

Mukesh had filed his mercy petition two days ago.

The four convicts -- Mukesh (32), Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) -- were to be hanged on January 22 at 7 AM in Tihar Jail, a Delhi court had announced on January 7 while issuing their death warrants. However, the Delhi government informed the high court during a hearing that the execution of the convicts will not take place on the day as a mercy plea had been filed by Mukesh.

“The Home Ministry has forwarded the mercy petition of Mukesh Singh to the President. The ministry has reiterated the recommendation of the lieutenant governor of Delhi for its rejection,” a Home Ministry official said on Friday morning. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s office sent Mukesh Singh’s mercy petition to the Home Ministry on Thursday, a day after the Delhi government recommended its rejection.

The 23-year-old paramedic student, referred to as Nirbhaya, was gang raped and brutally assaulted on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 inside a moving bus in south Delhi by six persons before being thrown out on the road.

She died on December 29, 2012 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

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