President Murmu rejects mercy plea of man convicted for rape, murder of two-year-old in Maharashtra

President Droupadi Murmu has rejected the mercy petition of Ravi Ashok Ghumare, who was convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing a two-year-old girl in Maharashtra in 2012, officials said on Sunday (December 14, 2025).

This is the third mercy plea rejected by the President since she assumed office on July 25, 2022. According to the status of mercy petitions disclosed by Rashtrapati Bhavan, Ghumare’s plea was rejected on November 6.

The Supreme Court, on October 3, 2019, affirmed the death sentence awarded to Ghumare, saying that he had no control over his “carnal desires” and had surpassed all natural, social and legal limits just to satiate his sexual hunger.

In its verdict, a three-judge bench comprising Justice Surya Kant (now Chief Justice of India), by a majority verdict of 2:1, said the man had “ruthlessly finished” a life which was yet to bloom and his act of committing unnatural offence with the two-year-old exhibits “a dirty and perverted mind, showcasing a horrifying tale of brutality”.

“Having said that, it may be seen that the victim was barely a two-year-old baby whom the appellant (Ravi) kidnapped and apparently kept on assaulting for over four to five hours till she breathed her last.”

“The appellant, who had no control over his carnal desires, surpassed all natural, social and legal limits just to satiate his sexual hunger. He ruthlessly finished a life which was yet to bloom,” Justice Surya Kant had said, while writing the verdict for himself and (now retired) Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman.

President Droupadi Murmu rejects mercy petition of man convicted for raping, killing 4-year-old girl

The appellant, instead of showing fatherly love, affection and protection to the child against the evils of society, made her the victim of lust, the majority verdict said.

“It’s a case where trust has been betrayed, and social values are impaired. The unnatural sex with a two-year-old toddler exhibits a dirty and perverted mind, showcasing a horrifying tale of brutality,” the verdict said.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place on March 6, 2012, in Indiranagar locality of Maharashtra’s Jalna city. Ghumare had lured the victim with a chocolate.

The trial court had convicted him and awarded the death penalty on September 16, 2015. His death sentence was upheld by the Bombay High Court in January 2016.