In a recent piece at the ‘Mast Newspaper’ Dr. Rajan Mahtani stated that the law of death penalty is cruel and degrading and the recent announcement by the Zambian President was a step in the right direction. President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema, on the eve of Africa Day, made an announcement of his quest towards abolishing the inhuman, dregrading and cruel punishment of death penalty. This announcement has received mixed reactions with several local, national and international programs supporting this move. Dr. Rajan Mahtani has also supported this announcement by the Zambian President.
Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani is a noted businessperson and philanthropist from Zambia. He is the owner of several top companies and is also known for several philanthropic contributions across Zambia and Africa. One of these philanthropic contributions have been the Prison Fellowship Zambia, which was established by Dr. Rajan Mahtani more than three decades back. It is a popular and respect Christian Outreach Program that focusses on bringing the learnings and teachings of Jesus Christ to prisoners at Zambian prisons. Also, the program focusses on providing criminal justice, fundamental dignity and fundamental rights to these prisoners.
Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, while supporting this recent announcement by the President of Zambia, stated that the practice of death penalty does not resolve the problems of crimes and unethical practices across the nation. Dr. Mahtani has iterated that across the world, there is a growing consensus towards abolishment of death penalty as a legal punishment. This voice is also growing across Zambia, and he commended the Zambian President towards taking the right step. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani also stated that living with death penalty is itself a significant punishment as the convicts wake up every day with the fear of it being their last day. As such, Dr. Rajan Mahtani has extended his full support to this decision from the Zambian President. Dr. Rajan Mahtani further stated that he will provide full legal and regulatory support via his company Prison Fellowship to make the announcement a reality.