President Patil Pardons 30 Death Sentences

Bangalore: In the last days of her presidency, President Pratibha Patil has certainly proved to be an angel for those who have been sentenced to the gallows. Patil has commuted 30 death sentences into life, something that has never happened before.

“The 30 whose death sentence has been commuted to life term were found guilty of barbarically murdering 60 persons by the Supreme Court. 22 of those killed were women and children,” said an India Today report.

The move made by Patil did not see any protest from government quarters.

However, many of the convicts who got the clemency had committed heinous crimes of murder and sexual assaults. This raises the question - if many of these convicts really deserve a clemency and makes one wonder whether they deserved any leniency.

Most of the victims also went through brutal torture before their lives were snuffed out. Rape and sexual assaults were committed.

The President has in the last 28 months commuted death sentences into life at a record pace. The last pardon given by the President was on 9 February, 2012 to convict Sushil Murmu who was found guilty of sacrificing a nine year old boy in Jharkhand for his prosperity.