Reformer ready to help Nirbhaya convicts handle their fear of gallows

Unnao, Jan 16 (IANS) Jail reformer Pradeep Raghunandan has sent a letter to Sanjeev Goyal, the Director General Prisons and also Tihar jail officials, requesting them to make arrangement for the 'Garud Puran' to be read out to the four Nirbhaya convicts who are awaiting death sentence to be executed on January 22.

"The 'Garud Puran' removes the fear of death and explains the transition of soul from one world to another. Hearing excerpts from the scripture removes the fear of death to an extent and helps one make peace with his fate. It mentally prepares the person to face death without fear. The 'Garud Puran' has 16 chapters and 9,000 'shlokas'," he said.

Raghunandan has already been communicating with the Union Home Ministry in this regard though he is yet to get a written acceptance of his request.

The jail reformer further said that since Hindus believe in the concept of re-birth, it is important that the soul is freed from all fears before it enters another body.

Raghunandan said that he has observed that the four convicts in the Nirbhaya case are said to be extremely upset and restless after the death warrants was issued for them.

The jail reformer said that as soon as permission is granted, he would himself go to the Tihar jail and read out the 'Garud Puran' to the four convicts and help them deal with the situation.

Named Nirbhaya for her grit to fight till the end, was the 23-year-old woman, who was brutally gang-raped on December 16, 2012 inside a moving bus in South Delhi by six persons. The victim, who was severely assaulted, was thrown out on the road along with her male friend. She died after a fortnight.

The sheer brutality of the gang-rape shocked the nation and led to tightening of rape laws.

Of the six rapists, one was a juvenile, who was sent to a remand home and let off. One of the men committed suicide in jail.