Nirbhaya case: SC rejects Mukesh's plea, another convict files plea

Mukesh Singh. File pic/PTI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed the petition of death row convict Mukesh Kumar Singh in the Nirbhaya case challenging the rejection of his mercy plea by the President, and said that its "quick consideration" and "swift rejection" does not suggest non-application of mind or it being pre-determined.

Later, another convict, Akshay Kumar Singh, 31, filed a curative petition. The SC will hear the plea on Thursday.

The apex court held that all the documents, including the verdicts delivered in the case by the courts, past criminal history of convict, economic condition of his family, were taken into consideration by the President while rejecting the mercy plea.

"We do not find any ground for exercise of judicial review of the order of the President of India rejecting the petitioner's (Mukesh) mercy petition and this petition is liable to be dismissed," said the bench.

'Death penalty a solution to pressure'

Akshay Singh in his plea said the SC "in its confidence of handing out the death penalty as 'proportional' punishment on the basis of how brutal the crime is, exposes the inconsistency of this court and all other courts that have handed out the death penalty as panacea for public pressure..."

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