Nirbhaya Case: ‘Follow Sonia Gandhi’s Example, Forgive Convicts,’ Indira Jaising to Asha Devi

The senior advocate attributed her 'suggestion' to her stand on the death penalty, of which she is a vocal critic. Sonia Gandhi has 'forgiven' Nalini, who was involved in the assassination of her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

New Delhi: Senior advocate Indira Jaising on Friday urged Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi to ‘pardon’ the four convicts on death row, just like interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who forgave Nalini, who was involved in the assassination of her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Jaising attributed her ‘suggestion’ to her stand on the death penalty, of which she is a vocal critic.

On Twitter, commenting on an interview given by Asha Devi to news agency ANI, in which she accused politicians of doing politics over her daughter, Jaising wrote: “While I fully identify with the pain of Asha Devi I, urge her to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi who forgave Nalini and said she didn’t want the death penalty for her.”

“We are with you but against death penalty,” she added.

While I fully identify with the pain of Asha Devi I urge her to follow the example of Sonia Gandhi who forgave Nalini and said she didn’t not want the death penalty for her . We are with you but against death penalty. https://t.co/VkWNIbiaJp

— Indira Jaising (@IJaising) January 17, 2020

The senior advocate’s ‘suggestion’ to Asha Devi came on a day a Delhi court issued a new death warrant for the execution of the four convicts. The four, who were earlier scheduled to be hanged at 7 AM on January 22, will now be hanged at 6 AM on February 1. The execution date had to be changed due to the mercy plea filed by one of the convicts, Mukesh Singh, to President Ram Nath Kovind. As per prison rules, a death row convict can only be hanged 14 days after the rejection of his mercy petition.

The mercy plea was rejected by the President on Friday. Also on Friday, Pawan Gupta, another convict in the case, moved Supreme Court, claiming he was ‘juvenile’ at the time of the crime. The delay in hanging has also triggered a war of words between Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP, which rules at the Centre.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.