The four men convicted in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder , the horrific incident that took place in Delhi on December 16, 2012, were hanged to death on Friday pre-dawn, ending a chapter in India’s long history of sexual assault.
Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, and Akshay Kumar were executed at 5.30 a.m. for the savage assault in an empty moving bus on the 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known the world over as Nirbhaya, the fearless one.
Here are the latest updates:
Justice finally done but fight to ensure speedy justice will continue: Nirbhaya’s family
Justice has finally been done and women will definitely feel safer now, Nirbhaya’s parents said after four men convicted of gang rape and murder of their daughter were executed on Friday, resolving that their next fight would be to plug the loopholes that delay punishment.
Talking to reporters at her home in Dwarka in west Delhi, Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi said justice was delayed but not denied in the 2012 case. Her father Badrinath Singh said although his daughter has got justice, the family will now fight for daughters of the country and work to plug the loopholes in the rape laws.
“We will request the Supreme Court to issue guidelines so that no one can adopt delaying tactics in such cases in future,” the mother said, referring to the execution of death warrants being deferred thrice by a court on various grounds.
- PTI
Time to introspect on death-row convicts using delaying tactics: Ravi Shankar Prasad
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Friday was a day of satisfaction with Nirbhaya getting justice, but also time to introspect whether death-row convicts could be allowed to “manipulate” system to delay execution.
“It’s a day of satisfaction that a daughter, who underwent so much pain, has got justice,” Prasad told reporters in Parliament premises. “It’s time for judiciary, government and civil society to introspect whether death-row convicts can be allowed to manipulate system and cause delay.”
- PTI
Hanging of Nirbhaya convicts a ‘dark stain’ on India’s human rights record: Amnesty
Death penalty is never the solution towards ending violence against women, rights group Amnesty International India said on Friday, calling the execution of the four Nirbhaya case convicts a “dark stain” on India’s human rights record.
He also said that what is actually needed are effective, long-term solutions like prevention and protection mechanisms to reduce gender-based violence, improving investigations, prosecutions and support for victims’ families.
Finally done but justice delayed: Bollywood celebs
As the four convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case were hanged on Friday morning, Bollywood celebrities including Sushmita Sen, Taapsee Pannu and Ritiesh Deshmukh praised the verdict, but also called for stricter laws for crime against women in India.
Taapsee said the “long long battle” of the family finally came to end.
“It’s done. Finally. I hope the parents can finally sleep slightly better tonight after YEARS. It’s been a long long battle for them. Asha Devi,” she tweeted.
Actor Raveena Tandon also demanded swift justice in such cases in future.
“The planet is less 4 monsters. 8 long years, the parents have waited for justice. High time we demand swift justice. We have finally put Nirbhaya to rest,”she wrote on the microblogging site.
Actor Preity Zinta tweeted, “Finally the #Nirbhayacase comes to an end. I wish it would have been faster but I’m happy it’s over. Finally she & her parents are in peace. #RIPNirbhaya #Justicedelayed #TookTooLong.”
“If #Nirbhaya rapists were hung in 2012 the judicial system would have stopped so much crime against women. Fear of the law would have kept the lawless in check. Prevention is always better than cure. It’s time the Indian govt takes steps for judicial reforms. #RIPNirbhaya,” she added.
Sharing similar sentiments, Riteish said, “Stricter law enforcement, harsher punishment & fast courts for quick justice is the only way to instil fear in monsters who even think of such heinous acts. #JusticeForNirbhaya... The wait has been long but the justice has been served.”
“A Mother’s resilience Asha Devi sees it through!! Finally some justice!!” Sushmita Sen posted.
- PTI
Missing hubcap, colour of bus helped police identify vehicle in which ‘Nirbhaya’ was gangraped
A missing hubcap on a wheel and a white colour bus — these were the clues that led the police to zero in on the vehicle where a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was brutally gangraped on the fateful evening of December 16, 2012.
Tracing the bus was the first step in the investigation. One of the investigating teams woke up Delhi Transport Department officials in the early hours to get details of all white buses registered with them, former Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar has written in his book Khaki Files .
Scouring through CCTV footage
Soon, the police had the details of 320 white buses. Their search was further streamlined after some other teams scanned the CCTV footage from all hotels and guest houses on the national highway.
“Interestingly, the police teams noticed a white bus with ‘Yadav’ painted on its side in the CCTV footage of Hotel Delhi Airport. The bus was seen coming from Delhi, seemingly heading for Gurugram, but within nineteen minutes, at 9.53 p.m., it reappeared on the screen, heading again in the same direction,” Kumar has written in his book.
The footage was shown to Nirbhaya’s friend who identified the bus since its hubcap was missing on the front left wheel.
Subsequently, police identified one Dinesh Yadav of Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, as the owner of the bus, who confirmed that he owned a bus that had red seat covers, yellow curtains and Yadav written on its side, according to the book.
The bus owner also revealed to the investigators that the bus driver was named Ram Singh who lived in a shanty of Guru Ravi Das Camp in RK Puram. From Ravidas camp, the bus was recovered and Singh was also nabbed.
Preserving evidence
After the recovery of the bus, another challenge confronted the police — that of keeping the bus safe.
According to investigators, parking the bus inside the Vasant Vihar police station was not a safe option since the station had been witnessing protests against the rape and there was a danger that the bus could be vandalised.
The investigators got the bus parked at the Thyagraj Stadium parking lot and forensic teams were called there for examination.
- PTI
Mukesh seeks to donate organs, Vinay gives his paintings to jail superintendent
Minutes before they were hanged in the Nirbhaya case, Mukesh Singh said he would like to donate his organs while Vinay Sharma wanted his paintings to be given to the jail superintendent and his ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ to his family, an official said on Friday.
However, none of the four convicts — Mukesh, Vinay, Pawan Gupta and Akshay Kumar Singh — recorded any will, the official said.
“Vinay said his paintings should be given to the jail superintendent and his copy of ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ to family,” the official said.
Vinay used to draw paintings in jail, the official added.
Death row convicts are asked about their last wish before hanging.
Less than an hour before their hanging, jail officials and West Delhi District Magistrate Neha Bansal visited the four convicts in their respective cell.
As per prison manual, any documents, including the will of the prisoner, can be signed and attested in the presence of the jail superintendent and the district magistrate or additional district magistrate.
- PTI
Nirbhaya case convicts did not express any ‘last wish’
What began after dusk on a cold December evening over seven years ago with Nirbhaya’s murder and gang-rape, ended with the execution of Vinay Sharma (26), Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25) and Akshay Singh (31), at Jail No. 3 of Tihar prison, at dawn on March 20.
People gathered outside the jail and began a countdown when one minute was left for the clock to strike 5.30 a.m. The moment the news of the execution was confirmed by Tihar authorities, people started clapping and thanked the judiciary and Delhi police for delivering justice to Nirbhaya.
Postmortem in progress
All four convicts were hanged together at 3 a.m. Director-General of Tihar jail Sandeep Goel told reporters outside the prison. A doctor has examined and declared all four dead, he said.
A glimpse of DDU Hospital's mortuary premises where post mortem of Nirbhaya convicts, who were hanged to death early today, is being conducted.
Following this, the bodies were taken to the DDU Hospital mortuary for postmortem. Akshay's family was the first to reac the mortuary at around 9:50 p.m., following by the families of the three others. As per procedure, the postmortem is conducted only after the family members officially identify the body.
After postmortem, Akshay's body will go to his native place in Bihar, Mukesh's body to Rajasthan, and Vinay and Pawan's body will go to Ravi Dass Camp in RK Puram, their residence.
Justice has prevailed: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reacting to the hanging of the convicts, said that the punishment is of utmost importance to ensure dignity and safety of women.
"Our Nari Shakti has excelled in every field. Together, we have to build a nation where the focus is on women empowerment, where there is emphasis on equality and opportunity," he said, adding that justice has prevailed.
Nirbhaya convicts did not have breakfast before execution: Tihar official
Two Nirbhaya case convicts had dinner last night and none of the four had breakfast or a bath before their execution by hanging Friday morning, a Tihar Jail official said.
Nirbhaya gang rape case convicts, clockwise from top left, Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh.
The official said the four convicts did not bath or change their clothes.
“Vinay and Mukesh had their dinner properly on time. The meal comprised roti, dal, rice and sabzi. Akshay had tea in the evening but did not have dinner. All the four convicts did not have breakfast,” the official said.
The four convicts showed no signs of anxiety since last evening, the official added.
- PTI
I greet this day with aplomb that justice has finally been done to Nirbhaya: Smriti Irani
Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said on Friday that the hanging of four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case will send out a strong message to criminals that they cannot escape the law.
“I have seen Nirbhaya’s mother’s struggle over the years, though it took time to get justice but it has been done finally. It is also a message to people that you can run away from law but cannot finally avoid it. I’m happy that justice has been done," she said.
“I greet this day with aplomb that justice has finally been done to Nirbhaya. The hanging is a message for every criminal that one day law will catch up with you,” she told reporters in Parliament Complex.
- PTI
Kejriwal says it is time to address the loopholes in legal system which ‘favour the culprits’
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, reacting to the hanging of the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, said here on Friday it was time to address the loopholes in the legal system which “favour the culprits.”
The tragic incident, he said, had occurred seven years ago and the whole country had been waiting for justice for the last seven years.
“The convicts were hanged today, it took seven years to get justice for Nirbhaya. Today is a day when we should all stand together and resolve that no such incident should ever happen in India,” he stated.
ICJ condemns execution of convicts, urges govt. to abolish death penalty
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on Friday condemned the hanging of the four men convicted for Nirbhaya’s gangrape and murder while stating that the execution of the perpetrators was an “affront to rule of law and does not improve access to justice for women.”
Denouncing the executions, the ICJ urged the Centre to abolish death penalty and introduce “systematic changes” to the legal framework to deter violence and improve access to justice for women.
Frederick Rawski, ICJ Asia-Pacific Director, said: “State-sanctioned executions are little more than public theatre that risk celebrating and perpetuating violence at the expense of the ‘rule of law.’ As heinous as these crimes were, the imposition of the death penalty — the deterrent effect of which has been widely debunked — does nothing to improve the lives of women.”
Nirbhaya can rest in peace, our lingering doubts on justice system cleared: NCW chief
National Commission for Women (NCW) chief Rekha Sharma on Friday said Nirbhaya can finally rest in peace as she finally got justice, and hoped that the hanging of the four gang rape and murder case convicts will act as a deterrent for others. Ms. Sharma said the case has revealed loopholes in the legal system which the four convicts took advantage of.
After the hanging of the four men convicted in the gangerape and murder of Nirbhaya, her father appealed that the day be observed as Nirbhaya ‘Nyay Diwas’.
“Hopefully Nirbhaya finally will rest at peace as she got justice. Her parent’s finally won undeterred fight for justice for their daughter after long legal battle.The four men are finally convicted and hanged this morning of the savage crime caused upon a young medical student,” Ms. Sharma said in a tweet.
“This case also showed us the loopholes of legal system , which the four convicts took advantage of. Today as we know that finally the convicts got hanged, I hope this will play as deterrent for others, and no such case in future should take this long to deliver justice,” she added.
Ms. Sharma said, “Asha Devi (Nirbhaya’s mother) in all these years and had never lost hope in fight for delivering justice to her daughter. Finally Nirbhaya got justice, it was a long painful wait for the parents and for all of us. The doubts that have been lingering in our minds on justice system got cleared.”
- PTI
Justice has finally been done, women will feel safer now: Nirbhaya’s mother
Justice has finally been done and women will definitely feel safer now, Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi said after four men convicted of gang rape and murder of her daughter were hanged at Tihar Jail on Friday.
Talking to reporters at her house, she said that justice was delayed, but not denied, and added that they would continue their fight for justice for India’s daughters.
“We will request the Supreme Court to issue guidelines so that no one can adopt delaying tactics in such cases in future,” she said.
Published - March 20, 2020 11:40 am IST
