The date, December 16, 2012, is etched in our memory. A 23-year-old physiotherapy student was brutally gang-raped in a moving bus by six men–Ram Singh (the bus driver), his brother Mukesh Singh and others named Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta, and a minor. The crime was exceptionally shocking, and the assault on the girl was so savage that it shook the entire nation to its core. Two weeks after the attack, on December 29, 2012, Nirbhaya succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in Singapore.
The public was filled with outrage, it was a moment of crisis that touched a deep chord of discontent. Protesters took to the streets, many demanded the death penalty to be imposed for rapists. The parliament erupted in angry condemnation. But, it still took seven long years for the Indian judiciary to pronounce the judgment.
All her bereaved parents have wanted since 2012 is that the rapists be hung. On January 7, 2020, Delhi court ordered that all convicts in the case will be hanged to death at 7 am on January 22 in Tihar jail.
From 2012 To 2020: Everything That You Should Know About The Nirbhaya Rape Case
January 3, 2013: Delhi Police files a charge-sheet against all the five accused for murder, gang rape, attempt to murder, kidnapping, unnatural offences (remember, Nirbhaya’s intestines were taken out) and dacoity.
January 28, 2013: Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) rules the sixth accused as a minor.
February 2, 2013: All five adult accused are charged with 13 offences.
March 11, 2013: Ram Singh, one of the primary accused is found hanging in his cell in Tihar jail.
March 21, 2013: Rape law in the country amended, new law includes death for repeat rape offenders.
August 31, 2013: JJB convicts the juvenile for crime, awards three years term at a correction home.
September 10, 2013: Fast Track court convicts the remaining four accused- Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay and Pawan of the same 13 offences.
September 13, 2013: Fast track court orders death to all four convicts.
November 1, 2013: Hearing in the Delhi High Court begins on a daily basis after being referred to by the Trial court for confirmation of death sentence.
March 13, 2014: The Delhi High Court upholds the death sentences awarded to the four convicts.
December 20, 2015: Juvenile walks out of a probation home after three years.
April 3, 2016: Supreme Court begins hearing in the case.
March 27, 2017: Apex Court reserves verdict.
July 9, 2018: Top Court rejects review petition filed by the accused.
December 13, 2018: Nirbhaya’s parents move Patiala House court to seek expedition of convicts’ execution.
November 8, 2019: Vinay Sharma files mercy petition with Delhi government
December 2, 2019: LG rejects mercy plea of Vinay after it gets rejected by the Home department of Delhi Govt, the Chief Secretary and by Home Minister Satyendar Jain. LG gives approval to Delhi govt decisions
December 10, 2019: Accused Akshay files a review petition in Supreme Court.
December 17, 2019: CJI recuses from hearing review plea.
December 18, 2019: Supreme Court rejects review plea.
January 7, 2020: Delhi Court orders four convicts to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar jail. The order was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge Satish Kumar Arora who also issued death warrants against all the four convicts.
My Daughter Has Got Justice: Nirbhaya’s Mother
Nirbhaya’s parents have welcomed the death warrant. Her mother, Asha Devi, said, “My daughter has got justice. The order (death warrant) will restore the faith of women in law. It will empower the women of the country.”
She even went on to say that her daughter’s struggle has finally come to an end now after seven years. “Today, I want to thank my daughter. It has taken seven years. Her struggle is over now. This judgment will reinforce people’s faith in the judiciary. I knew that my daughter will get justice, there has been delay but death warrant has come. The daughters of the country will get justice now,” Asha Devi told the media.
India Reacts To The Verdict, Questions The Delay
After the 7 long years of fight, finally our Bravest girl has got justice. What her mother has said it's so warm. "My daughter has got justice. Execution of 4 convicts will empower the women of the country" – Asha Devi, Nirbhaya's Mother ❤️
Zyada waqt le lia #JusticeForNirbhaya pic.twitter.com/ybhezftWd0— Ipsita Panda (@IpsitaPanda19) January 7, 2020
All four convicts in the Nirbhaya Case will be hanged on 22nd January 2020. Finally long due justice for #Nirbhaya and her mother is delivered. But one question that still remains unanswered is ‘why justice is delayed so much in our country?’#NirbhayaVerdict #justicefornirbhaya pic.twitter.com/tGzf2ktdJu
— Vikas Kumar Dutta (@vikas_kr_Dutta) January 7, 2020
Finally India’s daughter gets #Justice !!
Death warrant issued in #Nirbhaya Gangrape & murder case, all four rapists to be hanged on 22nd Jan at 7am..
Justice may be delayed, but not denied.#NirbhayaCase #nirbhayaverdict #justicefornirbhaya pic.twitter.com/eF6zvZzd6c— Rishi Kant Prasad 🇮🇳 (@rishikant1994) January 7, 2020
7 years to punish the criminals,huh? Better late than never.
22.01.2020 -7am , four rapists from Nirbhaya Case will be hanged till death. #justicefornirbhaya Finally!— Captain Nick (@NiharickaSingh) January 7, 2020
7 years. What was Supreme Court doing for seven years?! https://t.co/uwMXTrGcpp
— Spurthi kolipaka #WomensCommissionMatters (@SpurthiKolipaka) January 7, 2020
As a society, we need to do a lot more to ensure women's safety. #NirbhayaVerdict #justicefornirbhaya pic.twitter.com/ha7JZvDkLk
— Chowkidar Manjunath Rajajinagar (@bjpmanju107) January 7, 2020
I personally think this isn’t the justice actually needed, but at least we have taken a step towards it. A big step actually. #justicefornirbhaya #Nirbhaya https://t.co/r6CZCaD9Wu
— Tim (@tim_tim0106) January 7, 2020
More than 32,500 cases of rape were registered in 2017, which is an average of about 90 a day, according to the most recent government data. A large number of cases go unreported as well. If we take a few of such incidents into account as well, about 100 females (belonging to all age groups) are raped regularly in India. How safe are we then? With the gruesome crime rate on a steady rise, a lot more definitely needs to be done to ensure safety for women in this country–India still has a long, long way to go.
Featured Image: Twitter
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