Court rejects Delhi gang-rape convicts' plea against home minister

One of the convicts in the December 16 gang rape case moved a plea in the court, seeking issuance of contempt notice against Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde for his reported statement that death was assured for the four convicts in the case.

One of the convicts in the December 16 gang rape case moved a plea in the court, seeking issuance of contempt notice against Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde for his reported statement that death was assured for the four convicts in the case.

But the additional sessions judge, Yogesh Khanna, rejected the plea.

Mukesh’s lawyer sought action against Shinde under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act in the beginning of the arguments on quantum of sentence to be awarded for the four convicts.

“The Union home minister reacted sharply soon after the judgment and issued a press release: ‘We have strengthened the law. Now trials in such cases would be done under the new law. Death is assured in this case’,” Mukesh said in the application.