SC dismisses Nirbhaya convict's petition challenging mercy plea rejection

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the plea filed by Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder convict -- Mukesh Kumar Singh -- challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Supreme Court's three-judge bench headed by Justice R Banumathi and comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna dismissed the plea of Mukesh.

Hearing the plea, the Bench said that the allegation by the convict that he was tortured inside the prison, can't be a ground to review the President's order.

"Quick consideration can't mean no application of mind," the Apex Court said since the matter was listed for urgent hearing as the convict is facing executing on February 1.

Advocate Anjana Prakash, appearing on behalf of Mukesh, alleged that her client was physically and sexually assaulted in Tihar jail and was put under solitary confinement.

Four people -- Mukesh Kumar Singh, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma, and Akshay Kumar Singh -- are facing execution on February 1 in the matter.

The 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gang-raped in a moving bus on December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. One of the accused, out of five adult accused, Ram Singh had committed suicide in the Tihar jail during the trial of the case.