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The quantum of sentence for the 4 accused in the Delhi gang rape case will be announced on friday at 2:30 pm. The arguments carried on for over 2 hours with the defence lawyers trying their best to obtain a jail sentence after the prosecution made it clear that they will not settle for anything less than death penalties for all the 4 accused. The arguments for leniency bordered on some solid arguments to desperate pleas for mercy
Here are the top 10 arguments made by the defense team today
1) Batla house accused got life; was let off due to politics, why death for these rape accused now?
2) Why Parliamentarians accused in dacoity, rape and murder are not tried by fast-track courts?
3) Poor get jailed as they can't hire good lawyers. Judge replied, "why say now after the trial"
4) Crime not pre-meditated and happened at the spur of the moment. Court should be lenient as the accused is very young
5) Convict Vinay Sharma is a good student and has applied for the Air Force.He did not commit the crime
6) Akshay is responsible for his ill parents, wife and child. He should be shown mercy.
7) Convict Mukesh Singh's lawyer says, 'Yeh baade bhai (Ram singh who committed suicide) ke chakkar mein phans gaya"
8) Invoking Mahatma Gandhi's name, lawyer A P Singh says "God gives life and he alone can take it and not man-made courts"
9) Life imprisonment is the rule and death penalty is an exception.
10) Death is irreversible; purpose of justice is reform and reconciliation
