A petition filed by Nirbhaya rape convict Pawan Kumar Gupta was dismissed by the Supreme Court on Monday.
In the petition, Pawan claimed that he was a minor in 2012 when he had committed the crime.
Hearing the plea the apex court said that petitioner Pawan Kumar Gupta was not a juvenile when he took part in the gruesome rape and murder of the paramedic student on December 16, 2012.
The SC bench headed by Justice R Banumathi accepted Delhi Police plea in which they said Pawan’sbirth certificate showed he was 19-year-old when the crime was committed.
The four convicts of the Nirbhaya case are now certain to be hanged on February 1 if further petitions are not filed by the other convicts.
With this dismissal, the hanging of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya case on February 1 is now bound to happen if no petition is filed by the other convicts.
“As per Pawan’s school-leaving certificate he was a minor at the time of the offence,” said advocate AP Singh, appearing for Pawan.
“None of the courts, including trial court and high court, ever considered his documents,” Singh added.
Appearing for Delhi police Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “Pawan’s claim of juvenility was considered at each and every judicial forum.”
“It will be a travesty of justice if the convict is allowed to raise the claim of juvenility repeatedly and at this point of time,” he added.
Mehta said that Pawan was 19-year-old at the time of the offence.
“There is a certified copy of his birth certificate and of the school leaving certificate, which was taken on record by each and every judicial forum,” Mehta added.