7 years on, death row convict in Delhi gang-rape says he was a minor

The judge had earlier accepted a request from the convict Pawan Kumar Gupta’s lawyer AP Singh to give him some time to file additional documents to back his claim. The judge allowed the time and posted the case for 24 January.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday put off hearing on a petition by a Delhi gang-rape convict claiming that he was a minor in 2012 but recalled his order to adjourn the hearing. Justice Suresh Kait said he will hear the petition later today after the government complained that the death row convict Pawan Kumar Gupta’s petition was a delaying tactic.

Protesters held placards and shouted slogans against government on the anniversary of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case at New Delhi, December 16, 2019. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

The judge had earlier accepted a request from the convict Pawan Kumar Gupta’s lawyer AP Singh to give him some time to file additional documents to back his claim. The judge allowed the time and posted the case for 24 January.

But lawyers for the government and the paramedic student’s parents later objected to the convict’s request, telling the court that this was part of the delaying tactics used by the convicts to drag the matter.

They stated that the Supreme Court review petition of accused had already been dismissed and the trial court has fixed January 7 as the next date of hearing on a plea seeking issuance of death warrant.

The judge responded that he had granted the adjournment as the convict said they want to amend their petition

The case would be heard later today.

According to Gupta’s lawyer AP Singh, the application was filed to give more evidence to prove his client’s claim that he was a juvenile at the time of the offence in December 2012.

Seeking to be declared a juvenile at the time of occurrence of the incident, the application claimed that his ossification test was not conducted by the investigating officer.