May 05, 2017: The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and death penalty to four convicts’ — Mukesh, Akshay, Pawan and Vinay awarded to them by the High Court in the 16th December, 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. A 3-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra wrote two separate but concurring judgements in the case. It noted that Victim’s dying declaration is consistent as it has been proved beyond doubt and corroborated.
The Apex Court said that Aggravating circumstances outweigh mitigating circumstances in the case, adding that the offence created “tsunami of shock. The Court confirmed findings of the trial court and Delhi High
Court against the four convicts in the case.
The Police had sought death penalty for them. The apex court on March 27, reserved its verdict against the conviction and death penalty awarded to them by the High Court on March 13, 2014. The 23-year-old paramedic was brutally assaulted and raped by six persons on a moving bus in south Delhi and thrown out of the vehicle with her male friend on the night of December 16, 2012. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29 the same year. Delhi Police had sought capital punishment for the convicts as the test of being a ‘rarest of rare’ case was satisfied.During the trial, one accused, Ram Singh had allegedly committed suicide and one juvenile was sentenced by a remand home.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the Supreme Court verdict in Nirbhaya gangrape case is victory of rule of law. The Minister said, he is satisfied that provision of death penalty exists for rarest of rare case. He said, today is a big day for Indian justice system and rule of law.
Welcoming the verdict, Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said, the verdict will definitely act as a big deterrent for anyone intending to commit crime against women. She said, in the last three years, the Government has made efforts to create a ring fence of security around women to protect them from heinous crimes.
Parents of Nirbhaya welcomed the decision and termed it historic. Nirbhaya’s mother said, though the verdict took time, but justice has finally been delivered by the Supreme Court. She said, it’s not just a victory for the family but a victory for each and every woman in the country. (AIR News)
