President Murmu Rejects Mercy Plea of Convict in Maharashtra Child Rape-Murder Case

President Droupadi Murmu rejected the mercy petition submitted by Ravi Ashok Ghumare on November 6, 2025, who stands convicted for the abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a two-year-old girl in Maharashtra back in 2012, representing the third instance of such a denial during her tenure which commenced on July 25, 2022.

This decision, formally recorded and subsequently disclosed through the official mercy petition status updates issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan, ensures the continuation of the capital punishment imposed on Ghumare, reflecting the gravity accorded to crimes involving extreme violence against the most vulnerable sections of society, particularly infants.

The Supreme Court's affirmation of the death sentence came on October 3, 2019, through a three-judge bench presided over by Justice Surya Kant—currently the Chief Justice of India—delivering a majority verdict of 2:1 that underscored the accused's complete lack of restraint over base instincts, leading him to breach every conceivable moral, societal, and legal norm in pursuit of momentary gratification.

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In its detailed observations, the apex court described the prolonged ordeal inflicted upon the child, enduring assaults for four to five hours until her demise, as a profound betrayal of inherent societal trust where the perpetrator, rather than extending protective care akin to a guardian, exploited the toddler's innocence, revealing a mindset marked by profound depravity and resulting in an act of unspeakable brutality.

The incident unfolded on March 6, 2012, in the Indiranagar locality of Jalna city, Maharashtra, where Ghumare lured the young victim with the promise of chocolate before perpetrating the heinous offenses; following a thorough trial, the sessions court convicted him and awarded the death penalty on September 16, 2015, a sentence that received confirmation from the Bombay High Court in its judgment delivered in January 2016.

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