Rape convicts under POCSO Act should not have right to file mercy petition: President Kovind

Amid outrage over women's safety and recent cases of rapes, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said convicts under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act should not have right to file mercy petition.

He was speaking at the National Convention on ‘Empowerment of Women for Social Transformation’ at the headquarters of Brahma Kumaris in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

"Women safety is a serious issue. Rape convicts under POCSO Act should not have the right to file mercy petition. Parliament should review mercy petitions," President Kovind said.

"A lot of work has been done on this subject but much remains to be done. The incidents of heinous attacks on our daughters shake the conscience of the country," Kovind added. 

#WATCH "Women safety is a serious issue. Rape convicts under POCSO Act should not have right to file mercy petition. Parliament should review mercy petitions,"President Ram Nath Kovind at an event in Sirohi, Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/0noGCUaNhQ

— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2019

The President added that it is the "responsibility of every parent, of every citizen, of mine, of yours, to strengthen the spirit of 'respect for women' among boys."

His remarks came amid a heated debate in the country over women's safety after the recent rape case of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad and another case in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao where a rape survivor was set ablaze by the accused.  

The victim in Unnao has suffered 90% burn and is battling for life at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. 

In Hyderbad, the four accused were shot dead in an encounter with the Police early morning on Friday. Cops claimed that the accused snatched their weapons and attacked them, forcing the policemen to fire in self-defence.