Nirbhaya gang rape convict Vinay Sharma files mercy plea

Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case convict Vinay Sharma has filed a mercy petition before President of India on Wednesday for the commutation of his capital punishment to a life sentence, his lawyer AP Singh confirmed. Vinay’s mercy plea comes three-days ahead of the date of hanging all four gangrape and murder convicts. Vinay Sharma is lodged in Tihar jail along with other convicts Mukesh Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta and Akshay, who are sentenced to death for brutally raping and killing a medical student in Delhi on December 16, 2012.

Another convict, who was minor during the crime, was sent to a correctional centre and has been released after he had served his sentence. The sixth accused in the case hanged himself to death during the trial. The four convicts are to be hanged on February 1 at 6 am in Tihar jail as Delhi court had issued their death warrant. Meanwhile, the court on Thursday will hear Akshay Singh’s curative petition challenging the decision in the Supreme Court.