SC dismisses Nirbhaya convict Vinay's plea against rejection of mercy petition

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (February 14) rejected Nirbhaya convict Vinay Sharma's plea challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President Ram Nath Kovind. A bench led by Justice R Banumathi and comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and AS Bopanna rejected Sharma's plea.

Advocate AP Singh, representing Vinay Sharma had submitted that his client was mentally unfit and the concerned documents were not presented before the President. Singh contended that Sharma was undergoing psychological problems due to ill-treatment and solitary confinement in jail, which was in violation of the prison norms.

Singh cited the Supreme Court`s 2014 judgement in Shatrughan Chauhan, which held that death sentences of convicts suffering from mental illness should be commuted.

Sharma, one of the four convicts on death row in the 2012 case, moved the apex court on February 11, challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the president and claimed the 'hurried rejection' was 'mala fide' and violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution.

He also sought commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment claiming that he has 'developed mental illness' inside the prison due to the alleged 'torture and ill-treatment'.

Mehta placed before the court a medical report of February 12 of Sharma and said he was found to be medically fit.

The apex court had earlier dismissed a plea filed by Mukesh Kumar Singh, another death row convict in the case, challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President.

Meanwhile, Justice R Banumathi fainted during the hearing of the Nirbhaya case in the Supreme Court today. She was hearing the submissions made by the Centre on separate execution of convicts in the case, news agency ANI reported.