The covicts of the most shocking case of gang rape on 16^th December 2012 are to be hanged. Supreme Court today upheld Delhi High Court’s verdict on the death sentence. The 429 page verdict consists of intricate details of the Nirbhaya case.

Declaring it as the “rarest of rare” crime which shocked the entire country, Supreme Court rejected the mercy plea of convicts Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay and Akshay. The death penalty was declared in 2013 which was challenged by the convicts in Supreme Court.

The three-judge bench called the crime as “brutal, barbaric and diabolical”.

The victim “Nirbhaya” as named by the nation, had put up a brave fight in a hospital in Singapore before her last breath a fortnight later. The apex court said that the offence created a “tsunami of shock”.

Mother of deceased Jyoti, who was killed in the Delhi gang rape case, sit next to the bravery awards at her Dwarka residence in Delhi on December 15th 2015.  Express photo by Ravi Kanojia.

The victim’s mother Asha devi has support of the entire nation though the loss is irreparable.

As per the latest report, convict Mukesh’s mother who lives in Karoli wept bitterly when the verdict was discussed with her. As per the villagers, Mukesh and his brother Ram Singh (another convict who committed suicide in Tihar jail) were infamous in the area for their criminal activities.  One of the Karoli dwellers, Rajendra Saraswat, has appreciated the decision of Supreme Court saying it will deepen public’s faith in law.  Archana Sethi of the Karoli municipality said that the decision will have a deep impact on criminals and it is likely that female security will be given more preference. Overall, Karoli people are satisfied with the court’s judgement.

In 2014, the court had declared that “exemplary punishment” was the need of the hour. The offence was “extremely fiendish” and “unparalleled in the history of criminal jurisprudence”.

Following the news of the heinous act in 2012, demonstrations and road shows were carried out not just in Delhi but also in various parts of the country. After this a committee was set up to change the existing laws and work towards safety of women. A Nirbhaya Fund was constituted with Rs.1000 crore to carry out works towards women’s safety.

With relevant inputs from indianexpress.com, rajasthanpatrika.com