President Rejects Mercy Petition of Nirbhaya Convict Akshay Thakur

President of India Ramnath Kovind has rejected the mercy petition filed by Akshay Thakur, one of the four convicts awaiting execution of death penalty in the Nirbhaya gang rape-murder case.

A 5-judge bench of the Supreme Court on January 30 dismissed the curative petitions of Akshay.

President has already rejected the mercy petition of Vinay Sharma and Mukesh.

Last month, SC bench comprising Justices Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna had dismissed the review plea of convict Akshay, after which the Delhi court has issued death warrant against the convicts. The review petitions of other three convicts were dismissed by SC in July 2018.

The death penalty was upheld by the Supreme Court on May 5, 2017.

On December 16-17 night, 2012, a paramedical student was gang-raped in a moving bus by five men and a juvenile. Few days after, the victim had succumbed to the brutal injury caused to her by them.

Prime accused Ram Singh had committed suicide in the Tihar jail in March 2013.