New Delhi, March 18 (IANS): A court here on Wednesday came down heavily on the lawyer representing the death-row convicts in Nirbhaya rape case, asking him why he always approaches court at the last hour.

In another manoeuvre to delay the ensuing death sentence slated for Friday, the death-row convicts, through their counsel A.P. Singh, once again knocked on the doors of the trial court seeking stay on their hanging on the grounds that their legal remedies are pending.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana, seeking a report from the Tihar Jail authorities and state government by 12 a.m. on Thursday and observed, "Why do you approach court at last hour?"

Public Prosecutor Irfan Ahmed opposed the application on the grounds of its maintainibilty. "There is no legal remedy pending. There are just 36 hours left for their hanging."

Four convicts -- Vinay, Mukesh, Akshay, and Pawan are scheduled to be executed on March 20 at 5:30 a.m. for brutally raping and murdering a 23-year-old physiotherapy student, later dubbed as 'Nirbhaya', on December 16, 2012.