The Supreme Court today upheld the death sentence for all four persons convicted for the gang rape and murder of a young Delhi paramedic student in December of 2012. The brutalisation of the 23-year-old woman had sent shockwaves across India, sparked street protests, and forced lawmakers to make rape laws more stringent.
A three-judge bench confirmed the Delhi High Court judgement which had upheld the trial court decision to award Mukesh (29), Pawan (22), Vinay Sharma (23) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) the death penalty.
Ram Singh, another accused, allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail.
This is how the court began its verdict:
"The cold evening of Delhi on 16th December, 2012 could not have even remotely planted the feeling in the twenty-three year old lady, a para-medical student, who had gone with her friend to watch a film at PVR Select City Walk 2 Mall, Saket, that in the next few hours, the shattering cold night that was gradually stepping in would bring with it the devastating hour of darkness when she, alongwith her friend, would get into a bus at Munirka bus stand to be dropped at a particular place; and possibly could not have imagined that she would be a prey to the savage lust of a gang of six, face brutal assault and become a playful thing that could be tossed around at their wild whim and her private parts would be ruptured to give vent to their pervert sexual appetite, unthinkable and sadistic pleasure."
Here's the full text of the judgment:
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