After seven long years, the four accused of the Nirbhaya rape case - Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh were sentenced to death today morning at 5.30 am. The four rapists were hanged in Delhi's high-security Tihar prison in the first executions in India since 2015. The execution of the conviction took place after the Supreme Court dismissed plea filed by one of the accused seeking a review of the death penalty.
According to reports of a leading daily, Director-General of Tihar jail, Sandeep Goel, confirmed that the four convicts were hanged together at 5. 30 am and doctor present examined them to pronounce them dead. A source from the Tihar prison told the daily that under the supervision of Dr. B.N. Mishra, a five-member panel of DDU forensic department will do the postmortem at 8 a.m., said a Tihar Jail official. The official from the jail also informed the daily that the convicts didn't express any last wish and their belongings and money earned during their stay in the prison will be given to their family members.
Nirbhaya's mother, Asha Devi, in her statement to media, told, "Finally they have been hanged, it was a long struggle. Today we got justice, this day is dedicated to the daughters of the country. I thank the judiciary and government." In yet another interview with another leading daily, she said, "It was a struggle of seven years. I thank every citizen of this country as well as the government. The hanging was delayed but I am happy that finally they have been hanged. This struggle will continue. My daughter isn't here anymore but I'll continue to fight for all women of the country. Let's hope that no daughter goes through anything like this in the future. Soon after the execution, I bowed before my daughter's picture and hugged it. I'm proud of my daughter. Because of her the world knows me as Nirbhaya's mother. I miss her very much." She also stated that justice delayed but not denied.
Nirbhaya's father, Badrinath Singh spoke to media and said that today should be celebrated as Nyay Divas as women of India have got justice. "Not just for Nirbhaya, it is the day of the women of the whole country, it is the day of justice and safety, words are less to explain this day. People from everywhere will say this that Nirbhaya has got justice today. The only people sad after convicts hanging will be their parents and lawyers. Its the job of the lawyer to save their clients. They tried their best. But even our lawyer was fighting against them and was present with us at all times. There was competition from both sides. The only difference was that we were on the side of truth and they were for untruth that is why we won," Badrinath told.
#WATCH Asha Devi, mother of 2012 Delhi gang rape victim says, "As soon as I returned from Supreme Court, I hugged the picture of my daughter and said today you got justice". pic.twitter.com/OKXnS3iwLr
— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2020
Speaking of the Nirbhaya rape case, a 23-year-old physiotherapy student, on the night of December 16, 2012, boarded an off-duty bus to return home after watching a film with a friend at a plush mall. Soon, six men who were already onboard attacked the couple and took turns to rape her. So much so, they brutally assaulted her with an iron rod. After the gang rape, the two were thrown out of the bus. They were then found naked and in a bloodied state by passers-by who summoned the Police. Days after, a widespread protest across the nation took off. But, Nirbhaya, despite the will to live a happy life, succumbed to grave injuries at a hospital in Singapore where she was taken for treatment when her condition deteriorated in Delhi.
One out of the six accused, Ram Singh, was found dead in jail in 2013. It is being said that he took his own life. The other of the six, who was aged 17 at the time of the rape, was released in 2015 after serving three years- the maximum term possible for a juvenile in the country.
(Source: The Hindu/Mumbai Mirror/Republic)
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