AAP, LG Want Kovind to Reject Nirbhaya’s Rapist’s Mercy Petition

The Delhi government “strongly recommended” to reject the mercy petition filed by convict.

Vinay Sharma (wearing white T-shirt), one of the death row convicts in Nirbhaya case has been sentenced to 10 years in a separate robbery case. 

(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday, 2 December, said that the strictest punishment must be given to the Nirbhaya’s rapists, adding that the Delhi government has sent recommendations to the President for the same, asking him to reject the mercy petition filed by one of the accused.

“The way the women of this country are being treated today, being raped and subjected to torture and then killed is outrageous,” he said.

“In the Nirbhaya case, people of the country took to the streets, and it has been so many years. We think that in all such cases, the culprits should be given strict punishment so that any other person thinks twice before committing such a crime. Hence, the Delhi government has sent recommendations to the President that culprits should not be shown any mercy.”

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi chief minister

Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal has recommended rejecting the mercy plea Kejriwal said on Monday.

Vinay Sharma, one of the convicts facing the gallows in the gangrape and murder case of a 23-year-old paramedic student, had filed a mercy petition before President Ram Nath Kovind.

Sharma is in Tihar Jail since his arrest in the case and had filed a mercy plea, while Mukesh, another convict, had refused, according to officials.

The Delhi government “strongly recommended” to reject the mercy petition filed by one of the 2012 Nirbhaya murder case convicts, sources said on Sunday.

Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain sent the file to Baijal with Arvind Kejriwal government’s recommendations in the case, they told PTI.

“This is the most heinous crime of extreme brutality committed by the applicant (Vinay Sharma). This is the case where exemplary punishment should be given to deter others from committing such atrocious crimes,” a source quoted Jain as saying in the file noting.

The Delhi home minister also said, “There is no merit in mercy petition, strongly recommended for rejection”.

(Photo: ANI)

NCW Writes to President, Demands Rejection of Mercy Petition

The National Commission for Women too urged President Kovind to reject the mercy petition, saying it would deter others from committing such crimes against young girls and women.

Considering the rising incidents of “inhuman” tragedies against young girls and women, an exemplary punishment of death sentence should be given to the convicts of such heinous crimes as they do not deserve any mercy, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma was quoted as saying in a statement by the Commission.

She requested Kovind to direct the government to set a definite mechanism and timeline for trial and disposal of all appeals, review petitions and curative petitions in such heinous and brutal rape cases, preferably within six months, so that speedy justice can be ensured.

2012 Rape and Murder Case

The paramedic student was raped on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012, inside a running bus in south Delhi by six persons and severely assaulted before being thrown out on the road.

She died on 29 December, 2012, at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, where she was airlifted from Delhi for treatment.

One of the accused Ram Singh had hanged himself in the jail and another accused, a juvenile, was convicted of rape and murder and given the maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment in a reform facility.

The fourth death row convict, Akshay Kumar Singh (33), had not filed a review plea in the apex court.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)