Supreme Court verdict confirming death-penalty to all the four adult culprits in infamous and brutal rape-cum-murder Nirbhaya case of 16.12.2012 is welcome. But the verdict may not be slow-poisoned by tactics of delaying execution through lengthy procedures of review-petition and mercy-petition. Supreme Court should do away with tradition of hearings on review-petitions after rejection of mercy-petitions. Supreme Court should also direct governments to ensure decision on mercy-petitions in a time-bound period of say three months. Execution should take place within one week of rejection of mercy-petition. All this is possible where mercy-petition of one Ramchandra alias Raoji was decided to be rejected in a record period of just six days of being filed. Final execution in that case was done in less than three years of committing crime of murder.
Once death-penalty is strictly enforced, much-much more lives will be saved than lost due to hangings because of creating a much needed fear-psychology against crimes attracting death-penalty. Fast execution will relieve from unbearable hardships and mental agony to those convicted with death sentence in case of fastest execution soon after Supreme Court verdict or rejection of mercy-petition.
MADHU AGRAWAL