Nirbhaya's mother breaks down over delay in execution of convicts
As the Delhi High Court was informed about the delay in the execution of Nirbhaya's rapists, Nirbhaya's mother on Friday broke down and said the government is not able to look at our problems. Speaking to the media, Asha Devi, mother of 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim said her family has been struggling for justice for 7 years. "My family has been struggling since 7 years and the government is not able to understand our problems," she said, adding "we have been joked about."
Making an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Asha Devi said, "you came to power in 2014 promising safety of women, so please hang them on January 22".
Nirbhaya's mother also slammed BJP and AAP for blaming each other over the delay in the hanging of the four convicts, Mukesh Singh (32), Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25).
"Till now, I never talked about politics, but now I want to say that those people who held protests on streets in 2012, today the same people are only playing with my daughter's death for political gains," Nirbhaya's mother said.
Adding, Asha Devi said, "The rapists are the one to have committed a crime, but we are suffering. The government is listening to their pleas, not ours."
Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry on Friday forwarded to President Ram Nath Kovind the mercy petition of one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape case, recommending its rejection, officials said.
Mukesh Singh, one of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, had filed the mercy petition a few days ago.
"The Home Ministry 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," the official said.
The Delhi LG had sent the mercy petition of Mukesh to the Home Ministry on Thursday, a day after the Delhi government recommended its rejection.
The four convicts -- Mukesh Singh (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. A Delhi court had issued their death warrants on January 7.
However, the Delhi government had informed the high court during a hearing that the execution of the convicts will not take place on January 22 as a mercy plea has been filed by Mukesh.
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