Sirohi (Rajasthan), Dec 6 (IANS): As entire India is outraged at multiple incidents of rape and henious crime against against women, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said that there should be no provision of mercy pleas for rapists of children.
In his address at an event here on Friday, Kovind said: "Rape convicts under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act should not be allowed mercy petition."
Calling women's safety a "serious issue", he said: "Parliament should review mercy petitions."
In fact, the President called for an amendment to the Constitution with regards to mercy petitions. "I recommended that there should be an amendment to the Constitution with regards to mercy petition. In my opinion, people convicted under the POCSO Act should not be allowed to come under the ambit of mercy petition."
An emotional Kovind went on to add: "There should be no mercy for rapists. These kind of incidents shocked the whole nation."
However, he added: "I am sure you share my sentiments but the final decision on this constitutional amendment lies with the Parliament."
The Parliament amended the POCSO Act in August this year to include the death penalty in cases of gruesome penetrative sexual assault by any accused who happens to be in a position of authority.
The President's suggestion comes against the backdrop of the Union Government forwarding him the Delhi government's recommendation rejecting the mercy plea of one of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case that shook the conscience of the nation. Meanwhile, Nirbhaya's parents too have filed an application before the President for rejection of mercy pleas of the convicts.
Nirbhaya case: MHA for rejecting convict's mercy plea
The Ministry of Home Affairs has recommended that the President reject the mercy petition filed by one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, sources said on Friday.
The file regarding the mercy plea of convict Vinay Sharma has been forwarded to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, sources said.
On Sunday, the Delhi government "strongly recommended" the rejection of the mercy petition filed by one of convicts of the 2012 Nirbhaya murder case convicts.
In the recommendation, Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain said this was the case where exemplary punishment should be given to deter others from committing such atrocious crimes.
"This is the most heinous crime of extreme brutality committed by the appellant. This is the case where exemplary punishment should be given to deter others from committing such atrocious crimes. There is no merit in the mercy petition, strongly recommend for rejection," Jain wrote on Sharma's petition.
The petition was forward to the city government after the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court rejected it, saying "he does not deserve any mercy".
A 23-year-old woman was gangraped and tortured on December 16, 2012, which led to her death. All the six accused were arrested and charged with sexual assault and murder. One of the accused was a minor and appeared before a juvenile justice court, while another accused committed suicide in Tihar Jail. Four of the convicts were sentenced to death by a trial court in September 2013, and the verdict confirmed by the Delhi High Court in March 2014 and upheld by the Supreme Court in May 2017, which also dismissed their review petition in July 2018.