The Centre moved the apex court following the delay in execution of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. (Photo Credit: Representative image)
New Delhi:
The Centre on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court urging to seeking modification of the Shatrughan Chauhan judgment on rights available to death row convicts. The plea seeks imposition of time limit to file curative petition after review is rejected and says the convict should file his or her mercy petition within seven days after black warrant is issued.
Welcoming the government move, Asha Devi, the mother of Nirbhaya, said: “I want the Supreme Court should issue fresh guidelines for hanging the convicts.”
The Centre moved the apex court following the delay in execution of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, urging modification to the Shatrughan Chauhan judgment in 2014 regarding the right to legal relief for the sentenced convicts.
The Centre's move comes in the the context of the pending executions of the death warrants of four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape-murder case.
In the application, the Centre said that the judgment was "accused-centric", and that it is important to "consider laying down guidelines from the point of view of victims, their family and the society as well".
In the Nirbhaya case, a three-judge bench laid down various guidelines for protection of rights of death row convicts, and declared that long pendency in disposal of mercy petition is a ground to commute death penalty to life sentence.
