The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sent to President Ram Nath Kovind the Delhi government’s recommendation to reject the mercy plea of one the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedic student, a senior government official said.
The incident took place on December 16, 2012.
Meanwhile, the President said in Rajasthan that those convicted of raping children should be deprived of their right to file mercy pleas.
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“It is for Parliament to take a decision on the matter and make necessary constitutional amendments, but the thought of all of us is moving ahead in that direction,” he said at an event in Abu Road on the issue of women safety.
Women’s safety was a very serious issue. A lot of work had been done on this, but much remained to be done. “Incidents of demonic assaults on daughters shake the conscience of the country. It is the duty of every parent, citizens, yours and mine to strengthen among boys the sense of respect towards women... In this context, several things are coming up. Such convicts have been given the right of mercy petition by the Constitution. I have said that there should be reconsideration on this... In cases under POCSO [Protection of Children from Sexual Offences] Act, they must be deprived of the right of mercy petition. They do not need any such right,” he said.
The 2012 gang rape and murder convict, Vinay Sharma, is on death row along with Mukesh and Akshay Kumar Singh, who did not file mercy pleas. A fourth convict - Ram Singh was found hanging in Tihar jail, and the fifth, a juvenile was released after serving three years in a reform home.
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Earlier this week, the Delhi government decided to reject the mercy plea of Sharma, who is presently lodged in Tihar.
“The Home Ministry has sent the file to President of India where Delhi government has recommended that Sharma’s mercy plea be rejected,” the senior government official said.