Nirbhaya rape case: The convicts had appealed for the sentences to be reduced. (File)

The Supreme Court on Monday will decide whether the four men sentenced to death for raping and torturing a 23-year-old medical student on a moving bus in Delhi, triggering nationwide protests, deserve any mercy. The top court will announce its verdict on the review plea filed by two of convicts seeking reduction of their death sentence to a life term.

The Supreme Court on May 5 last year had upheld the verdict of the Delhi High Court and the trial court sentencing the four men - Mukesh, 29, Pawan, 22, Vinay Sharma, 23 and Akshay Kumar Singh, 31, to death for raping the young woman and fatally wounding her. The men had then appealed to the court to review their sentences, saying it was "cold-blooded killing in the name of Justice". The court agreed to hear their request in November last year.

Nirbhaya rape case: Protests were held in several cities to demand justice. (File)

A bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra had heard the arguments of both the sides and reserved their order in May this year.

The gang-rape and killing of the 23-year-old medical student on December 16, 2012, provoked rage and shock across India and led to big changes to laws on sexual crimes against women.

Of the six accused, bus driver Ram Singh killed himself in his prison cell. The youngest accused, just days short of 18 when he committed the crime, had been sent to a juvenile home.

The woman, who died after 16 days in hospital, came to be known as "Nirbhaya" or fearless. Her parents have said that all the rapists should be hanged at the earliest, including the youngest.