Nirbhaya Case: SC dismisses Vinay Sharma’s plea challenging rejection of mercy petition

The Supreme
Court Friday dismissed Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case convict Vinay
Sharma’s plea challenging rejection of his mercy petition by the President
alleging that it was done in a “mala fide” manner.

A bench of
Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna said no ground of judicial
review of rejection of mercy petition is made out by Sharma, one of the four
death row convicts in the 2012 case.

All material
including Sharma’s medical report placed before President who applied his mind
in rejection of mercy plea, the apex court said.

The top
court rejected the contention of Sharma that he is mentally ill and said his
medical report suggests he is stable.

The trial
court had on January 31 stayed “till further orders” execution of the
four convicts in the case—Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay
Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31)—who are lodged in Tihar Jail.