Hangings should be soon after rejection of time-bound decision on mercy-petitions

Kashmir Times. Dated: 7/26/2015 11:24:51 PM

Dear Editor,
Delay in deciding mercy-petitions is not only torturous for death-sentence convicts, but also dilutes fear against committing crimes attracting death-sentence. Mercy-petitions should be decided compulsorily within three months of filing and should be accepted only in rarest of rare cases that too after compulsorily seeking nod from families of victims. Mercy should be exception rather than a rule. Abnormally high delay in deciding mercy petitions and also subsequent execution in case of rejection of mercy-petitions, unnecessarily creates provocation including even state-assemblies passing resolutions for pardon on religious and regional grounds. Since all court-remedies in regard to death-sentences including at Apex Court are adopted before filing mercy-petitions, further approaching courts after rejection of mercy-petitions must not be allowed. Hanging should be within a week of rejection of mercy-petitions. But delay in execution must not be an allowable ground for approaching courts against execution.
Union government should make file-notings on decided mercy-petitions public by putting these on website soon after these are decided. Mercy-petitions are undoubtedly subject-matter of lives of those convicted with death-sentence. Making file-notings on mercy-petitions public will tend to check wrong decisions especially in case of rejection of mercy-petitions. However names of all those giving their opinions in deciding mercy-petitions can be severed for reasons of their personal safety. In exceptional cases, file-notings on mercy-petitions may be made public after execution of death-warrants.
—Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
1775 Kucha Lattushah
Dariba, Chandni Chowk Delhi.

 

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