Halt use of capital punishment: UN on Nirbhaya convicts' execution
United Nations: The UN has called on all nations to stop the use of capital punishment or put a moratorium on it, a day after four men convicted of gang-raping and murdering a 23-year-old woman were hanged in India.
Seven years after the rape and murder of the young medical student, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya', sent shock waves across the country, the four convicts - Mukesh Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) - were hanged to death on Friday at 5.30 am in New Delhi's Tihar Jail.
Responding to the hanging, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the world organisation calls on all nations to stop the use of capital punishment or put a moratorium on it.
"Our position has been clear, is that we call on all States to halt the use of capital punishment or at least put a moratorium on this," Dujarric said at the daily press briefing on Friday.
The horrific gang-rape and murder of the physiotherapy intern on December 16, 2012, who came to be known as Nirbhaya, the fearless, had seared the nation's soul and triggered countrywide outrage.
This was the first time that four men have been hanged together in Tihar Jail, South Asia's largest prison complex that houses more than 16,000 inmates.
The executions were carried out after the men exhausted every possible legal avenue to escape the gallows. Their desperate attempts only postponed the inevitable by less than two months after the first date of execution was set for January 22.
The execution of the four convicts brings the curtains down on the case that shook not just India but also the world with the details of its brutality The widespread protests subsequently paved the way for a change in India's rape laws.
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AIADMK leader denies reports of Palaniswami's proposed meeting with TN Guv
Chennai (PTI): Senior AIADMK leader S Semmalai on Thursday ruled out that his party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami would be meeting Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar amid the political uncertainty post Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
There were some reports that Palaniswami is likely to meet the governor to discuss the possibility of forming a government after providing support to TVK, which has 108 seats.
Denying the reports, Semmalai told reporters that "there is no such need". The AIADMK has not received any invitation from TVK, written or oral, seeking support to form government in the state, the former minister said.
To a question whether the AIADMK would support any invitation extended by the TVK, Semmalai said that decision will be taken by Palaniswami.
"Our leader will decide. He is not a king maker. He is the king", he added.
Vijay is making efforts to cobble up support to form his maiden government after his TVK emerged as the single largest party post the April 23 polls, the results of which were announced on Monday.
TVK won 108 seats, 10 short of the simple majority in the 234-member House to form government. The Congress, with five MLAs, has extended support to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
