Nirbhaya case timeline: How events unfolded over the years
Story highlights
At exactly 5.30 am on Friday the four men -- Mukesh Singh, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma -- will be hanged simultaneously inside jail number 3.
Delhi's Patiala House Court on Thursday rejected all petitions of the convicts in Nirbhaya gangrape case who sought a stay on their execution scheduled for March 20.
At exactly 5.30 am on Friday the four men - Mukesh Singh, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma - were hanged simultaneously inside Tihar jail.
December 16, 2012
A 23-year-old woman, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya' (fearless), was gang-raped and brutally assaulted in a moving bus in south Delhi.
She succumbed to injuries days later, on December 29, at Singapore hospital where she was transferred from Delhi's Safdarjung hospital.
A total of six people -- Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta, Ram Singh and a juvenile -- were convicted in the gang rape and murder of the paramedic student.
December 17
Police identified the accused, bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta.
A day after on December 18, all four were arrested.
Delinquent juvenile nabbed from Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi. Victim's friend identifies Mukesh as one of the culprits. Police conduct raids in Haryana and Bihar to nab the sixth accused, Akshay Thakur.
Thakur was later arrested in Aurangabad district of Bihar and brought to Delhi.
December 23
Nationwide protests led by students intensified as demonstrators defy prohibitory orders and take to the streets of Raisina Hills. Enraged girls and boys demanded strict punishment for rapists.
Clashes broke out between protesters and police as it responds with fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
By the end of the day, 72 protesters were injured including several policemen of whom two sustained serious head injuries.
December 29
Victim succumbs to injuries and other medical conditions in a Singapore hospital. Police add murder charge in the FIR.
She was flown to Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital by the government after her condition continued to deteriorate in a Delhi hospital.
January 2, 2013
Then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir inaugurates fast track court (FTC) for speedy trial in sexual offence cases.
January 3
Police file charge sheet against five adults accused of murder, gang-rape, attempt to murder, kidnapping, unnatural offences and dacoity.
January 17
Fast Track Court starts proceedings against the five adult accused.
January 28
Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) says a minority of juvenile accused is proved. Later, the fast track court framed charged against the adult. On February 28 Juvenile Justice Board also framed charged against the minor.
March 11
One of the accused, Ram Singh commits suicide in Tihar Jail by hanging himself.
Authorities in Tihar said Singh hanged himself early in the morning after he made a noose from the mat he slept on and hanged himself from a grille in the ceiling.
Delhi HC allows national media to report the trial court's proceedings.
July 5
Inquiry (trial) in JJB against the juvenile in concludes. JJB reserved verdict for July 11.
July 8
FTC completes recording of testimonies of prosecution witnesses.
July 11
JJB holds minor also guilty of illegally confining and robbing a carpenter on December 16, the night before allegedly taking part in the gang rape.
August 22
FTC begins hearing final arguments in the trial against four adult accused.
August 31
JJB convicts the minor for gang rape and murder and awards three-year term at a probation home.
September 3
FTC concludes trial. Reserves verdict.
September 10
Court convicts Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan of 13 offences including gang rape, unnatural offence and murder of the girl and attempts to murder her male friend.
September 13
Court awards death penalty to all 4 convicts.
September 23
High Court begins hearing the convicts' death sentence reference sent to it by the trial court.
January 3, 2014
High Court reserves verdict on convicts' appeals.
March 13
High Court upholds death penalty to the 4 convicts.
March 15
Supreme Court stays execution of two convicts, Mukesh and Pawan, after they file appeals. Later, stays execution of other convicts also.
April 15
Supreme Court directs police to produce the dying declaration of the victim.
February 3, 2017
Supreme Court says it would hear afresh the aspect of awarding death penalty to the convicts.
March 27
Supreme Court reserves verdict on their appeals.
May 5
Supreme Court upholds death penalty to four convicts, says the case falls under the category of 'rarest of rare' and the offence created "tsunami of shock".
November 8
Mukesh, one of the four death row convicts in the case, moves SC seeking review of its verdict upholding the capital punishment awarded to him.
December 12
Delhi Police oppose Mukesh's plea in SC.
December 15
Convicts Vinay Sharma and Pawan Kumar Gupta move SC for review of its verdict.
May 4, 2018
Supreme Court reserves order on review plea by two condemned convicts--Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta.
July 9
Supreme Court dismisses review pleas of three convicts.
February 2019
Victim's parents move Delhi court for issuance of death warrants of the four convicts
December 10, 2019
Akshay moves plea in SC seeking review of his death penalty.
December 13
Victim's mother moves SC opposing review plea of convict
December 18
Supreme Court dismisses Akshay's review plea.
Delhi government seeks death warrants for the execution of death sentence to the 4 convicts
Delhi court directs Tihar authorities to issue a notice to convicts to avail their remaining legal remedies.
December 19
Delhi HC dismisses plea of Pawan Kumar Gupta claiming he was a juvenile at the time of the offence.
January 6, 2020
Delhi court dismisses complaint filed by Pawan's father seeking FIR against a sole witness.
January 7
Delhi court orders 4 convicts to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar jail.
January 14
Supreme Court rejects curative petition of Vinay and Mukesh Kumar.
Mukesh files mercy petition before President Ram Nath Kovind.
January 17
President Ram Nath Kovind rejects mercy plea of Mukesh.
Trial court issues fresh death warrants with execution date as of February 1, 6 am.
January 25
Mukesh moves Supreme Court against the rejection of mercy plea.
January 29
Convict Akshay Kumar approaches the Supreme Court with a curative petition
Supreme Court rejects plea of Mukesh challenging rejection of his mercy plea.
January 30
Supreme Court dismisses curative plea of Akshay Kumar Singh.
January 31
Supreme Court dismisses plea filed by Pawan seeking review of its order rejecting his juvenility claim.
Delhi court again postpones execution of the death warrants until further order.
February 1
Centre moves High Court against the trial court order.
February 5
High Court dismisses Centre plea against trial court order; says all 4 convicts have to be hanged together. It directs the convicts to pursue all legal remedies within a week, failing which the authorities ordered to take action in accordance with the law.
February 17
Delhi High Court issued a death warrant for March 3 after the president Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition of the accused.
The execution date deferred because of the pending curative and mercy petitions accused Pawan before the President.
March 5
Patiala house court issued a fresh death warrant for all four accused in Nirbhaya case for March 20 after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition of the four accused.
(With inputs from PTI)