The Delhi Lieutenant Governor on Thursday rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh, one of the convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case and sent it to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action. The government of Delhi had rejected his mercy plea yesterday and sent it to the L-G Anil Baijal, who accepted the recommendation of the Delhi Government and forwarded the file to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). This came after the Delhi High Court refused to stay death warrants after the state government said that it "can't hang convicts on January 22." The death row convict then moved to the trial court seeking postponement of execution date as he has filed a mercy plea before the President. The trial court has issued a notice to the Delhi government and has also sought response from parents of 2012 Delhi gangrape victim. Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi government told the High Court that the four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape cannot be hanged on January 22, a date that was scheduled for their execution. "The fate of a death convict comes to finality only after his mercy plea is rejected by the President. It can only take place 14 days after the rejection as we are bound by the rule which says that a notice of 14 days must be provided to the convicts after the rejection of mercy plea," Standing Counsel for Tihar Jail authorities, Advocate Rahul Mehra, informed the court.

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