"India Won't Tolerate Five Deaths To Avenge One": Nirbhaya Convicts' Lawyer To Media

The lawyer representing the four Nirbhaya convicts has said that India will not tolerate five "murders" to avenge one. His statement came as the Delhi High Court reserved its order on a lower court's endless suspension of the perpetrators' death sentence.

"The convicts have been in jail for the past seven years. There are four mothers (those of the convicts) on one side and one mother (victim's) on the other. India will not tolerate five deaths to avenge one (the victim)," ANI quoted Advocate AP Singh as saying.

Singh further claimed that a "media trial, political trial, trial with public sentiments" was taking place because of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. He added that it would be an "injustice" if they are hanged in a hurry.

Questioning Delhi High Court's 'haste' in the issue, Singh said: "Why only, in this case, there is a hurry? Justice hurried is justice buried." He further said that the convicts should not be made to bear the brunt of ambiguity in the law as they belong to poor, rural and Dalit families.

"The Centre was not a party to the case till 2019, but when execution is stayed sine die, petitions are filed, and the case is heard on Saturday and Sunday. On social media, people are writing against my family and me. Why? Because I am giving importance to the Constitution of India?" Singh said.

"A Red Fort bomb blast convicts Arif alias Ashfaq is alive in hail even though all his legal remedies have been exhausted. His special leave petition (SLP), review, curative and mercy petitions have been rejected. But Delhi government and Tihar Jail are not giving notice for his execution," he added.

Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi has been seeking quick action against the perpetrators for years now. She had earlier accused Singh of bragging to her in open court that "the hanging will never happen".

Also Read: 'How Dare She': Nirbhaya's Mother Lashes Out At Indira Jaising's Remarks On Forgiving Convicts