A Supreme Court bench stayed the execution of two of the four men convicted for the rape and murder of a woman, dubbed Nirbhaya by the media, in December 2012.

The short order of Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh read:

We have heard Mr. Manohar Lal Sharma, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners - Mukesh and Pawan Kumar Gupta in respect of the prayer for stay of execution of death sentence.

We stay the execution of death sentence of the two accused – Mukesh and Pawan Kumar Gupta till 31st March, 2014.

We direct the Registry to place these matters before the Hon'ble the Chief Justice for appropriate orders regarding listing the matters before the appropriate Bench.

We further direct the Registry to communicate this order to the prison authorities forth with.

Sharma had volunteered for the defence of three of the accused and in January 2013 made controversial statements that he had never heard of a “respected lady” getting raped. Sharma was intermittently taken off the case by Mukesh Gupta, but in October 2013 again filed a Valakalatnama to represent him.

Sharma, who has a history of controversy in his litigations and public statements, on Friday managed to get the Supreme Court to issue notice to drugs giant Ranbaxy, for allegedly selling dodgy medicines in India (a case that the Supreme Court initially rejected in June 2013).