Nirbhaya’s mother welcomes SC decision dismissing convict’s review plea

New Delhi : Years after her daughter was brutally raped and killed in Delhi, Nirbhaya’s mother finally heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday as the Supreme Court rejected the review plea filed by one of the four convicts, seeking review of its 2017 judgment upholding the death penalty.

In her first reaction after the SC rejected the review plea of the gangrape convict, Asha Devi, mother of the 2012 Delhi gangrape victim, said, “I Welcome the decision. This has brought us one step closer to justice. We are very happy,” Nirbhaya’s mother said, and added, “Want the court to issue the death warrant today. Have fought with a lot of patience for the last seven years, it seems Nirbhaya will finally get justice.”

Parents of the gangrape victim had earlier expressed sadness saying they had been fighting for seven years but were yet to see the culprits punished and get justice for their daughter.

“We are waiting for justice to our beloved daughter from years. Unfortunately, we could not ensure that till date. But we will not give up. Our fight would continue through Nirbhaya Jyoti Trust which has been founded to stop violence against women. The crime against women in India is on the rise and very regrettable too. The system should work to make the country safe and secure for women,” Asha Devi had said.

The review petitions of three other convicts in the case – Mukesh, 30, Pawan Gupta, 23, and Vinay Sharma, 24 – had been dismissed earlier. Of the six accused of Nirbhaya’s rape and murder, four were convicted, Ram Singh committed suicide and a juvenile was released after three years in a reform home.

The 23-year-old paramedic student was gang-raped and brutally assaulted on a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16, 2012, before being dumped on a road, naked and critically injured.