Nirbhaya's rapists to be hanged till death on January 22
The four men, who raped Nirbhaya in 2012, will be hanged till death on January 22 at 7 am, Delhi's Patiala Court announced on Tuesday. They can use their legal remedies within 14 days, the court, which gave its judgment on a plea filed by Nirbhaya's parents, said. All the criminals are currently lodged inside Tihar jail, where they will be hanged. Here's more.
Backstory: Nirbhaya was gang-raped in moving bus, left to die
Nirbhaya, the name which the media gave to the 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, was raped inside a moving bus on December 16, 2012, in Delhi. The rapists, including a minor, inserted rods in her private parts and threw her out of the bus to die. After undergoing treatment for days, initially in Delhi and then in Singapore, Nirbhaya passed away on December 29.
To note, all courts gave death sentence to convicts
Facing pressure from all quarters, Delhi Police acted swiftly, arresting all guilty within days. A trial court gave them the death sentence in 2013, a High Court upheld it a year later, and the Supreme Court stood by it in 2017. However, death warrant, which allows jail officials to start the process of execution, wasn't issued, prompting the aggrieved parents to file a plea.
Who are the ones on death row?
The four convicts being sent to the gallows are Mukesh (31), Pawan Gupta (24), Vinay Sharma (25) and Akshay Kumar Singh (33). The prime accused in the case, Ram Singh, had committed suicide, and the juvenile was given three years in jail.
Earlier, Supreme Court dismissed plea of one of the convicts
Just yesterday, the same court dismissed a petition, filed by Pawan's father, alleging that the lone witness in the case was "tutored" into giving the statement. Last month, the apex court also junked a review petition filed by Akshay Singh. Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, and AS Bopanna noted that there was no ground to conclude it wasn't a "rarest of the rare" case.
Have fought with a lot of patience: Nirbhaya's mother
In the long-drawn legal battle, it was Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi who emerged as a force to reckon with. Speaking ahead of the verdict, Asha told Republic TV, "It has been seven years now, with a lot of patience in these years, I have fought the battle. Not only me, but the whole country is looking forward to today's hearing."
Prosecutor showed urgency, defense sought more time
Inside the court, the counsel for Nirbhaya's parents requested the issuance of death warrant, but the lawyers representing the convicts claimed they were in the process of filing a curative plea. Curative pleas aren't bound by a timeline as the court hears them according to its will. The convicts heard today's verdict via video-conferencing. They weren't brought inside the premises owing to security concerns.
My daughter has finally got justice: Asha
Relieved after the monumental verdict, Asha told reporters, "My daughter has got justice. Execution of the 4 convicts will empower the women of the country. This decision will strengthen the trust of people in the judicial system." Meanwhile, lawyer AP Singh, who fought for the convicts, said he will file a curative plea. The verdict was also welcomed by DCW chief Swati Maliwal.
