New Delhi, June 22 (IBNS): Indian President Pratibha Patil created a new record by commuting the death sentence of 35 convicts to life.
She surpassed other Presidents of the nation on this particular ground and has commuted the death sentence of record number of convicts to life.
According to reports, she has granted mercy to people who were convicted for crimes like kidnapping, rape, killing of children and mass murder.
Patil earlier this month pardoned four convicts- Bantu from Uttar Pradesh, Bandu Baburao Tidke from Karnataka and Shiv Lal and Lalchand alias Laliya Dhoom from Rajasthan.
All the convicts were charged of committing gruesome crimes.
Tidke had kidnapped,raped and then murdered a 16-year-old school girl.
Bantu on the other hand was convicted of raping and murdering a five-year-old girl.
Other convicts like Gopi and Mohan of Tamil Nadu and Santosh and Molai Ram of Madhya Pradesh were convicted for raping and murdering minors.
According to reports, 22 convicts, who have been pardoned by the President, were convicted for killing women and children.
Patil has gained a disposal rate of 200 percent in comparison to former Indian President and scientist A P J Abdul Kalam who had earned a disposal rate of 12.5 percent.
Patil's decision of granting pardon to such large number of convicts will surely stir a new debate in the country over the issue of death sentence.
Her tenure as the President of the nation is nearly over as the nation will witness the crucial poll to select the next President of the country in July.
Pertinently, Patil started her professional career as a practicing lawyer at the Jalgaon District Court,
Some of the sentences commuted by the President are:
Uttar Pradesh's Satish killed a 6-year-old in 2001.
Molai Ram and Santosh Yadav of Madhya Pradesh were convicted of raping and killing a 10-yr-old daughter of a jailor in Madhya Pradesh prison in 1996.
Dharmendra Singh and Narendra Yadav of Uttar Pradeh killed a couple and three minors in 1994.
Punjab's Piara Singh and his three son were charged of massacring 17 at a wedding party.
Shobhit Chamar of Bihar was jailed for killing six people of an upper caste landlord's family.
R Govindswamy of Kerala was convicted of murdering his paternal uncle, aunt and three children.
Shyam Manohar, Sheo Ram, Prakash, Ravinder Suresh and Harish were convicted of killing five people in connection to a property dispute.
Om Prakash of Uttarakhand was sentenced for murdering a retired brigadier and two family members.
Sushil Murmu of Jharkhand sacrificed a nine-year-old boy for his own betterment.
Mohan and Gopi of Tamil Nadu had kidnapped 10-year-old boy for a ransom of Rs 5 lakh .
Jaikumar was convicted of murdering his pregnant sister-in-law and niece.
