New Delhi: With just two days left for the hanging of the four convicts of gang-rape of a 23-year-old Nirbhaya in a bus in Delhi in December 2012 and left to die, the Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh Singh (32), holding that the alleged cruelty and sexual assault in jail is no ground to grant mercy.
The three-judge bench headed by Justice Mrs R Banumathi and members comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and AS Bopanna rejected his plea of non-application of mind by the President, ruling that all the documents were placed before him and he had taken them into consideration while rejecting his mercy petition.
"Quick consideration can't mean no application of mind," the court ruled overturning the petition listed for urgent hearing.
Another convict Akshay Singh's (31) curative petition is listed on Thursday at 1 pm before a 5-judge bench in the court no. 2 of Justice NV Ramana. Other judges on the bench are: Justices Arun Misra, Rohinton Fali Nariman, Mrs R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan.
Last month, the apex court had rejected his petition seeking a review of his death sentence after he filed a plea making bizarre claims, including citation of the Hindu religious texts and Delhi's pollution crisis as a reason why the hanging should not be carried out.
If the curative petition is rejected, Akshay Singh will have the option to send a mercy plea to President Ram Nath Kovind and the process is so lengthy before the President can take the decision that the hangings slated on Saturday may have to be postponed.
The curative petitions of Mukesh and Vinay Sharma have been already rejected.
