EU demarche to India against capital punishment

The European Union has handed over to India a demarche asking it to consider abolishing capital punishment.

The European Union has handed over to India a demarche asking it to consider abolishing capital punishment as the country debates the possible hanging of a man convicted of rape and murder of a teenager.

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The demarche to the Indian government, handed over on June 23, came though Irish authorities, who now hold the presidency of the European Union (EU).

"The demarche asks the Indian government to place before the (Indian) president the EU's opinion on capital punishment," British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata Andrew Hall said on Thursday.

The EU is trying to convince countries that still carry out capital punishment to abolish it.

"Capital punishment has been done away with in European community and we hope to convince India to do the same," Hall said.

The issue of capital punishment, which is rare in India, came into focus after a man was sentenced to death by hanging for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Kolkata in 1990.

Dhananjoy Chatterjee was to be hanged on June 25, but he won a reprieve hours before his execution when President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam stayed it because he was considering his second mercy petition.

Chatterjee had also moved the Supreme Court and Kalam had even once turned down his plea for clemency.

But the President apparently agreed to consider a second mercy appeal in the light of the EU demarche.

He is said to have sent the latest petition made by Chatterjee's family and some rights groups against capital punishment for the Home Ministry's opinion. The President usually goes by the advice of the ministry on clemency pleas.

It is now speculated that the Indian government might consider a lenient approach because of the EU's involvement in the case.

The EU wants if India couldn't altogether abolish capital punishment, it should at least follow a moratorium on death sentences.

"Death sentences are rare in India. So countries those follow a moratorium on capital punishment should not break it," Hall said.

Hall met West Bengal Law Minister Nisith Adhikary to convey the EU's stand on death sentence.

West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has said his government wanted the death sentence to be carried out against Chatterjee.

However, several top leaders from the ruling party in Kolkata said they personally were opposed to capital punishment.

Some rights groups and leading Bengali intellectuals are also against death sentences. But, a strong counter voice seeking Chatterjee's death is gaining ground too.

Kalam on Wednesday said he was waiting for the Home Ministry to send its opinion after which he would take a decision on the matter.