Nirbhaya gang-rape convict seeks withdrawal of mercy petition

New Delhi: Vinay Sharma, one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case, has moved a plea to President of India Ram Nath Kovind, seeking immediate withdrawal of his mercy petition, claiming that he did not sign the document.

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According to the letter sent to the president and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday, Sharma’s lawyer AP Singh sought the cancellation of the plea and requested a fresh start.

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The letter stated that the mercy petition forwarded for the perusal of the authorities was sent without any authorisation and legal representative, or consent by Sharma.

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The advocate also alleged that this was a conspiracy as the convict is yet to file a curative petition.

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Earlier, the Delhi High Court and the apex court had dismissed the appeal of Sharma and had upheld the sentence pronounced by the trial court in the matter.

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Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi had said that the culprits must be hanged to death.

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“I have been running from pillar to post for the last 7 years to get justice in the Nirbhaya case. I appeal to the justice system of this country and the government that Nirbhaya’s culprits must be hanged to death at the earliest,” she said.

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