SC rejects 16 December gangrape convict’s plea challenging President’s ‘hurried’ rejection of mercy
Judiciary

SC rejects 16 December gangrape convict’s plea challenging President’s ‘hurried’ rejection of mercy

Vinay Sharma, a 16 December convict on death row, had filed a mercy petition on 29 January before the President who rejected it on MHA's recommendation.

   
16 December gangrape convicts | Illustration Arindam Mukherjee | ThePrint

Illustration by Arindam Mukherjee | ThePrint

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the request of Nirbhaya case death-row convict Vinay Sharma to peruse recommendation for rejection of his mercy plea.

Sharma’s counsel alleged in the court that the Delhi lieutenant governor and its home minister had not signed the recommendation for rejection of his mercy plea.

However, a bench of Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna perused the record and said the LG and the home minister indeed signed the recommendation for rejection of his mercy petition.

Sharma, through advocate A P singh, moved the apex court on Tuesday challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the president. He claimed the “hurried rejection” was “mala fide” and violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution.


Also read: President rejects 16 December gang-rape convict Vinay Sharma’s mercy plea