Nirbhaya's father welcomes President's decision to reject mercy plea of one convict

The father of the 23-year-old paramedic student, who was gangraped and brutally assaulted in December 2012, on Friday hoped that the men will not escape the gallows, after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy plea of one of the four convicts.

Kovind on Friday rejected the mercy plea of Mukesh Singh, one of the four men convicted in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, sources said.

The rejection came soon after the Union Home Ministry forwarded the petition to the president on Friday morning.

"We are happy that the chances of them getting hanged have increased. We are assured that as soon as they file mercy pleas they will be rejected," he told PTI.

He said the news of the execution not happening on January 22 had disheartened them but Friday's developments have heightened their hopes.

"There is a hearing at 3.30 pm at Patiala House Court and this development will have a positive impact on it. Kal jo nirasha thi woh aaj asha mein badal gayi hai (Yesterday's disappointment has turned into hope today)," he added.

A Delhi court Thursday directed Tihar jail authorities to file a proper report by Friday about the status of scheduled execution of convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

Mukesh had filed his mercy petition two days ago.

The four convicts -- 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, a Delhi court had announced on January 7 while issuing their death warrants.