Nirbhaya Case: SC Dismisses Convict Mukesh's Plea Against Rejection Of Mercy Petition

The Supreme Court rejected the plea of Mukesh Singh where he challenged the decision of the President of India rejecting his mercy plea.

Image: PTI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, dismissed the petition of Mukesh Singh, one of the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape case, where he challenged President Ram Nath Kovind’s decision of rejecting his mercy plea. The apex court in its order said that there is no merit in the contention raised by the convict. All documents were placed before the President & he had taken them into consideration, in his decision, the court said. On Tuesday’s hearing, Advocate Anjana Prakash, appearing on behalf of Mukesh, alleged that her client was physically and sexually assaulted in Tihar jail and put under solitary confinement. The bench said that the alleged torture (of the convict) can't be a ground for challenging the rejection of mercy plea. The judgment was delivered by the Bench of Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, and AS Bopanna. Mukesh had approached the Supreme Court after the rejection of his mercy plea by President of India Ram Nath Kovind on January 17. The 32-year-old convict, had submitted the plea last week. His mercy plea was dismissed by the President on January 17. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant said: "If somebody is going to be hanged, then nothing can be more urgent than this." Later in the day, the mentioning officer considered the urgency of Mukesh Singh's plea and listed it before a three-judge bench comprising Justices R. Bhanumathi, Ashok Bhushan and A.S. Bopanna. The court had asked his counsel to approach the mentioning officer as the hanging is scheduled on February 1. Four people - Mukesh Kumar Singh, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma, and Akshay Kumar Singh -- are facing execution in the matter.