18 May,2009 01:21 PM IST | | PTI
The Special Public Prosecutor in November 26 Mumbai terror attack case Ujjwal Nikam on Monday said he favoured death penalty as a deterrent but cautioned that this measure would be effective only if it was executed with minimum possible delay.
"Capital punishment is a deterrent but is losing its effectiveness due to delay in executing the death sentence...We have to take measures to expedite the death penalty after the sentence is pronounced," Nikam said.
The death penalty is awarded only for a 'perversity' where there is no scope for reversal and the convict is unlikely to be reformed or rehabilitated in society, he said.
"The execution of sentence takes a long time and the pendency of appeals against acquittals before the HC is an issue that needs to be tackled at the earliest," he said.
Nikam said even mercy petitions before the President are kept pending for a long time. Although, the President has the discretion to decide on death penalty, in most cases such petitions are forwarded from President's office to the Home Ministry and states as a result of which its execution is further delayed.
