Nirbhaya Rape Case: Supreme court fast tracks hearing

Nearly 2 years after staying execution of death sentence of four convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case, the Supreme Court has finally fast-tracked the hearing for the please by the accused.

The convicts - Vinay Sharma , Akshay Thakur , Mukesh and Pawan Gupta - were awarded the death sentence by a trial court in September 2013 and six moths later, the Delhi high court upheld their conviction and sentence. All the convicts approached the Supreme Court in 2014, which stayed their execution.

A special bench of Justices Dipak Misra, V Gopala Gowda and Kurian Joseph said it would examine all evidences in the case to dispel allegations made by the convicts that they were not given enough opportunity to defend themselves in the lower court and HC.

The case had its first hearing yesterday on April 4, and would now be fast-tracked, with hearings every Monday and Friday, till a verdict is reached.

& quot Our approach would be to hear the case as original trial. We would go through all evidences in the case and analyse them. We would appreciate evidences as trial court so that there remains no grievances,& quot the bench said.

Nirbhaya's parents, Asha Devi and Badri Nath were at the Supreme Court in hopes to get a live update, but were not part of the court proceeding, following the Supreme Court directive that they are & quot not a party& quot to the case.

The next hearing is scheduled for 8th April 2016.