In another new twist to December 16 Nirbhaya gangrape case, the supreme court on Monday will be hearing the plea filed by the convicts Mukesh,  Akshay,  Pawan and Vinay. The plea challenged the Delhi High court order which sentenced the four convicts to the gallows after keeping in view the fact that it was a rarest of the rare case.

The appeal is being heard by the Apex Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra.

Previously,  the apex court had rejected the request by two amici curiae - senior counsel Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay R Hegde to withdraw from helping the court in the trial of appeals by the convicts in the gang rape case.

Asking both to continue assisting the court in the hearing of the appeals by the four accused convicted and sentenced to death, the three-judge bench comprising of justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan said: "We can appreciate the anguish expressed by the learned amici curiae".

On December 3 last year, amicus curiae Sanjay Hegde questioned the evidence produced by the prosecution. He came out with certain points questioning the merit of evidence.

According to Hegde, one of the convicts, Mukesh, was not with the prime culprit Ram Singh when the offence was committed as both their mobile locations were at different locations.

Nirbhaya: SC decision out about petition to block juvenile’s release

BY M. DIVYA SRI