Abolish capital punishment, says Kuldip Nayar

Chennai, Nov 4: Dubbing death penalty ''barbarous and outdated,'' noted journalist and human right activist Kuldip Nayar said government should come out with an Ordinance to abolish the penal procedure.

At a news conference here Mr Nayar said the Ordinance should be issued as fast as possible and it should be enacted in the ensuing Winter Session of Parliament.

''Right to life is a fundamental right and none, including the state, has the right to take away the life of another,'' he noted.

On a query about a mercy petition, he said the President should be the sole authority to decide upon a mercy petition and the decision should come exclusively out of his prerogative, instead of getting entangled in procedural delays in various ministries.

Citing that the death penalty would not serve as a deterrent to offence, Mr Nayar noted that facts and figurs do not endorse the presumption that the enormity of capital punishment will lessen offences.

''Only the poor go to the gallows,'' he said.

As regards commuting the death penalty of Muhammed Afzal Guru, who is convicted in Parliament attack case, Mr Nayar only reiterated he was for the abolition of death penalty.'' Speaking on the occasion Justice H Suresh, former Judge of Mumbai High Court, said capital punishment prevents the possibility of an offender of law to get reformed and added that one should be awarded life imprisonment in extreme cases. ''One should be alive to get the best results of punishment,'' he asserts.

He said the United Nations had issued a resolution abolishing extreme punishment. The member countries are expected to toe the line, he added.

UNI