President rejects mercy petition of convict Mukesh .

New Delhi, Jan 17 (HS): The President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh Singh, one of the four men convicted in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

The Ministry of Home Affairs forwarded the mercy petition of the death row inmate, to the President on Friday morning. A Delhi court on January 7, had announced a death warrant to the four convicts in the case. All the four death row inmates, Mukesh (32), Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) were to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail.

Availing last chance, one of the convicts, Mukesh had filed a mercy petition before the President two days back.  Delhi government forwarded the mercy petition of Mukesh to the LG Anil Baijal with the recommendation for rejection of mercy plea.

The LG office forwarded it to the MHA which further forwarded it to the President for consideration. According to an official in Home Ministry, “The MHA has forwarded the mercy petition of Mukesh Singh to the President. The Ministry has reiterated the recommendation of the lieutenant governor of Delhi for its rejection.”