India News | President Mukherjee Was Very Thorough with Mercy Petitions, Says Daughter

New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) Former President Pranab Mukherjee dealt with every case of mercy petition "very meticulously", his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee said on Wednesday.

In mercy petitions, the President is the last hope and so there is a "humane angle to it", she said while talking about her father during the launch of his book 'The Presidential Years'.

"So how does one feel sitting there that with one signature, he is going to decide (the fate)? So (in a) certain way, I felt this trauma and I asked him and he said, 'I cant sleep at night. Once I reject...I can't sleep at night," Sharmishta said.

She added that he was "very very thorough" in going through every case and dealt with every case "very meticulously".

Late Pranab Mukherjee, who was the President of India from 2012-2017, dealt with mercy petitions of 26/11 Mumbai attack terrorist Ajmal Kasab and Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru.

Sharmishta also quoted her father from the book saying it is not he who has given that punishment, the judicial system has.

"So he had certain criteria that it has to be a unanimous decision. At every stage, every level, the verdict had to be death penalty. He has himself written in the book that it was not a routine file job, so it was difficult," she said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)