The Hindu : New Delhi News : Death penalty in Mattoo case sought

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Monday, Oct 30, 2006
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New Delhi

Death penalty in Mattoo case sought

Staff Reporter

"It will act as a deterrent"

NEW DELHI: The `Justice For Priyadarshini Mattoo' group that led the public outcry in the Priyadarshini Mattoo case early this year has now appealed for death penalty to convict Santosh Kumar Singh.

Speaking about the campaign, Aditya Raj Kaul said: "We at `Justice For Priyadarshini Mattoo' firmly believe that the Priyadarshini Mattoo case fits into the category of rarest of the rare and hence the guilty should be awarded the death penalty."

"Though there are philosophical reasons for being against death penalty, we think death penalty should be struck upon the culprit so that spoilt brats of power know that they are not above the law. It will set precedence and act as a deterrent," he added.

Many Non-Government Organisations, student bodies and civil rights groups too have come out in support of the Mattoo family and campaigners to demand death sentence for the convict.

United Students, a Delhi University-based students group that had campaigned for the cause said that death penalty should be given but it will be a shame if social activists, who support the banning of death penalty all the time, come and file a clemency petition for Santosh Kumar Singh.

"Life imprisonment could be a harsh punishment too but knowing our legal system, some loophole or the other can be created to bail a person out of prison," said member United Students and a law student Dhruv Suri.

Priyadarshini Mattoo's family had previously expressed its satisfaction with the High Court's judgement and had demanded strongest punishment for the criminal.

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