Akshay Kumar Singh, one of the convicts in Nirbhaya case has filed a review petition against the death sentence in the Supreme Court. If the court rejects the plea, he will be left with the only option to plead for mercy with the President. This comes a few days after the home ministry recommended President Ram Nath Kovind to reject the mercy plea filed by another accused Vinay Kumar.
New Delhi: One of the convicts, in the Nirbhaya gang rape case, Akshay Kumar Singh, has filed a petition with the Supreme Court against the capital punishment awarded.
The apex court had convicted six accused in the gang rape case of 23-year-old paramedic student in 2016 and had awarded them capital punishment.
With news of Tihar jail trying to find a person to execute, one of the six convicts Akshay Kumar Singh, has filed a review petition against the death sentence.
Earlier, a few days ago, there were reports that another convict Vinay Kumar had filed mercy petition. The home ministry had recommended President Ram Nath Kovind to reject his plea. Accordingly, the President had refused to grant mercy to Vinay Kumar.
However, Vinay Sharma moved a plea addressing President Ram Nath Kovind for the immediate withdrawal of his mercy petition. Sharma claimed that he had never signed the document.
The top court has already rejected the mercy plea of convicts in the case Mukesh Singh and Pawan Gupta.
If the court also dismisses Akshay Kumar Singh's plea, he will be left with no option, but to file a mercy plea with President Ram Nath Kovind.
Nirbhaya was gang raped in December 12, 2012 and she succumbed to injuries on December 29. Out of the six convicts, one was a minor and another, Ram Singh, had committed suicide inside Tihar Jail during trial in 2013.
Last Updated Dec 10, 2019, 5:21 PM IST