Prez feels provision of mercy plea for child rapists should be scrapped

Sirohi: Expressing grave concern over the security of women in the country, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said that those accused of rape under the POCSO Act, should not have the right to file a mercy petition.

Addressing the two-day conference on Women Empowerment, organised by the spiritual organisation Brahma Kumari in this town of Rajsathan, Mr Kovind said the security of women is the responsibility of the whole society. The provision should be reviewed, he added.

Mr Kovind's statement comes at a time, when the whole country is seething with anger over the brutal gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old veterinary doctor on November 27. The accused even went to the extent of burning the body of the victim, to destroy evidence.

All the four accused in the gangrape and murder case of the young veterinariannearHyderabad were shot dead in an encounter in Chattanpally, early on Friday. Police sources said the accused--Mohd Arif, Shiva, Naveen and Chennakeshavulu--had tried to escape during investigation near a culvert, where the charred body of the girl, Disha was found 10 days ago.( UNI)