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President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition filed by Mukesh Kumar Singh one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case. A sessions court has issued fresh death warrants for the 1st of February at 6 a.m. This is probably the first time that the President decided on a mercy petition so quickly.
Normally it could take months to decide. Meanwhile some women’s groups had recommended for commuting of the death sentence to life imprisonment as they felt that death penalty does not serve any purpose as a deterrent. However the Ministry of Home Affairs recommended the rejection of the mercy petition and the President accordingly accepted the suggestion. All the four convicts will now be hanged on February 1st.
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