Nirbhaya Case: SC reserves verdict on rapist Mukesh's plea

Jan 28, 2020 21:57 IST

A three-judge Supreme Court bench reserved its verdict on the review plea of Mukesh, a convict in the Nirbhaya case against President Kovind's rejection of his mercy petition.
Arguing for Mukesh, advocates Anjana Prakash and Rebecca John said presidential power was prone to human fallibility, and that pardon was not an act of grace but part of the Constitutional scheme. They alleged that Mukesh had been kept in solitary confinement even before his mercy plea was rejected, which was in alleged violation of norms. Anjana Prakash also stated that Mukesh had been sexually abused in jail.
Arguing for the govt, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted an affidavit on the documents that were sent to the President, stressing that the jurisdiction of the court was very limited in the matter. He also mentioned that the allegations of abuse cannot be a ground for granting mercy.
Along with Mukesh, the three other convicts in the Nirbhaya case are scheduled to hang on February 1 at 6 am.