Nirbhaya case: President rejects mercy plea of convict Vinay Kumar Sharma

On Saturday President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy plea of December 16 gangrape-murder convict Vinay Kumar Sharma.

Vinay Kumar who is one of the convicts of the Nirbhaya rape case had on Wednesday filed the petition before President Kovind after his curative petition against the death penalty awarded to him was rejected by the Supreme Court.

On Friday, a Delhi court stayed the execution of the convicts until further orders, saying the country cannot afford to discriminate against a death row convict in pursuit of legal remedies. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana passed the order on the plea by the convicts, seeking adjournment of the executions with no appointed date for resumption.

“… Seeking redressal of one’s grievances through procedure established by law is the hallmark of any civilised society. The courts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning a Nelson’s eye towards him,” the ASJ wrote in his order.