Nirbhaya: Delhi court appoints advocate Ravi Qazi to represent convict Pawan

PTI, Feb 13, 2020, 5:13 PM IST

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday appointed advocate Ravi Qazi to represent Pawan Gupta, one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case.

Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana appointed Qazi after Gupta refused to take a lawyer offered by DLSA as legal aid.

The court had on Wednesday offered a counsel to Gupta and expressed its displeasure over the delay in the process from his side.

Gupta said he had removed his earlier lawyer and would need time to engage a new one.

The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) had provided Gupta’s father with a list of its empanelled advocates to chose from.

Gupta is the only one among the four convicts who has not yet filed a curative petition — the last legal remedy available to a person, which is decided in-chamber. He also has the option of filing a mercy plea.