MHA forwards Nirbhaya gang-rape case convict's mercy plea to President, recommends 'rejection'

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday forwarded the mercy petition of Nirbhaya gang-rape case convict to President Ram Nath Kovind, endorsing Delhi L-G Anil Baijal's view that the same should be rejected. The MHA took the decision days after the Delhi government "strongly recommended" to reject the mercy petition filed by Vinay Sharma - one of the convicts in 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case.

Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain had earlier sent the file to Lt Governor Anil Baijal with the government's recommendation in the case. It is to be noted that Sharma - one of the convicts - had filed a mercy petition before President Ram Nath Kovind. Sharma is currently languishing in Tihar Jail while other three convicts had refused to file the mercy plea.

The 23-year-old Nirbhaya was raped on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012 by six persons inside a moving bus.

She was severely assaulted before being thrown out on the road. Nirbhaya passed away on December 29, 2012, at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, where she was airlifted for treatment.

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Out of the six convicts, one - Ram Singh - committed suicide inside Tihar Jail and another, a juvenile was allowed to walk free after serving a maximum punishment of three years in a reform home.

The four rapists were awarded death sentence by the trial court, which was later upheld by the High court and the Supreme Court.

On October 31, a notice was issued by the Tihar Jail administration to the convicts in Nirbhaya case stating that the capital punishment awarded to them would be executed in seven days if they don't challenge it through a mercy plea.