‘Indira Jaising Should Be Ashamed,’ Says Nirbhaya’s Father

“Who is Indira Jaising to give me such a suggestion?” Nirbhaya’s mother said.

Asha Devi, Nirbhaya’s mother. 

(Photo: PTI) 

Nirbhaya's father on Saturday, 18 January said senior lawyer Indira Jaising should be "ashamed" of herself for suggesting that the four death row convicts be pardoned and added that his family isn't as "large-hearted" as Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

He also demanded an apology from Jaising, who is known for her stand against capital punishment. His remarks came hours after Nirbhaya’s mother slammed Jaising for her statement.

In a tweet on Friday, 17 January, Jaising said while she fully identifies with the pain of Nirbhaya's mother, she urges her "to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi who forgave Nalini and said she did not want the death penalty for her".

‘Who Is Jaising To Give Me Such a Suggestion,’ Asks Nirbhaya’s Mother

Nirbhaya’s mother, Asha Devi on Saturday, 18 January, hit out at senior lawyer Indira Jaising for urging her to pardon the convicts on death row for the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder case.

“Who is Indira Jaising to give me such a suggestion? The whole country wants the convicts to be executed. Just because of people like her, justice is not done with rape victims,” Asha Devi told ANI.

“I met Indira many times over the years in the Supreme Court. Not once has she asked about my well-being and today she is speaking for the convicts. Such people earn livelihood by supporting rapists. That’s the reason rapes still happen.”

Asha Devi, Nirbhaya’s Mother

Jaising took to Twitter on Friday, requesting Asha Devi to follow the example of interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi, “ who forgave Nalini (one of former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins) and said she didn’t not want the death penalty for her.”

Nalini was arrested and convicted for her role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

Court Issues Fresh Death Warrants

Earlier, on Friday, Nirbhaya’s mother had expressed disappointment over the delay in the execution of the four convicts.“I will fight and I will keep struggling… I will wait,” she said.

Fresh death warrants were issued by a Delhi court on Friday for the execution of the four convicts on 1 February, shortly after the President quickly rejected the mercy petition of one of them.

Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora heard the plea by Mukesh Kumar Singh for postponement of the date of his execution scheduled for 7 am on 22 January in view of the pendency of his mercy petition.

According to the Delhi government, the Prison Rules mandate a buffer period of 14 days between the day of the rejection of the mercy petition and the day of execution.

Besides Mukesh, 32, Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) are to be hanged.

The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was gang-raped and assaulted on the night of 16 December 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)