MHA asks Prez to reject Nirbhaya rapist's mercy plea

The Ministry of Home Affairs, on Friday, recommended President Ram Nath Kovind to reject the mercy plea of one of the convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case.

Sources said the MHA has forwarded the file to the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the mercy petition filed by one of the convicts Vinay Sharma, who is on the death row along with Mukesh and Akshay Kumar Singh.

Mukesh and Singh have not filed mercy pleas. One of the convicts Ram Singh allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail. Former Jail officer Sunil Gupta was questioned about his death with, as a recent booking had claimed that it was a murder. A juvenile was convicted of rape and murder and given the maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment in a reform facility and was released subsequently.

Two days ago, the MHA had received a recommendation from Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal rejecting the mercy petition.

Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old para-medic, was gang-raped on 16 December, 2012 and succumbed to her injuries a fortnight later. The incident had shocked the entire country due to the brutality of the incident.

The recommendation to reject the mercy plea comes as the country is once again outraged over the gang rape and murder of a 25-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad.

Before Baijal recommended rejection of the plea, Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain noted in the file forwarded to the LG, "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...There is no merit in mercy petition, strongly recommended for rejection."