The Madras High Court stays the hanging of the three men scheduled to be hanged on September 9 because Ram Jethmalani and Mohit Chaodhary who appear for Rajiv's killers say mercy pleas were delayed by 11 years and four months and therefore the death penalty becomes illegal and immoral. On August 11, the president had rejected the mercy petition, a delay of 11 years.

The court has now given an interim stay for eight weeks for Rajiv's killers.