President A P J Abdul Kalam [ Images ] will decide rapist-murderer Dhananjoy Chatterjee's fate this week, a senior Rashtrapati Bhavan [ Images ] official said on Monday.

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Chatterjee has been sentenced to death for raping and then smothering 14-year-old Hetal Parekh in Kolkata [ Images ] in 1990. A mercy petition filed by his wife and brother is now pending before the President.

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"The home ministry has sent its findings and now the same is pending before the President. A decision on the mercy petition would be taken within this week," the official said.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil [ Images ] had refused to answer any questions on the petition, which was referred to his ministry by the President for opinion.

He said the home ministry has done its bit and the final decision will be taken by the President.