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Nirbhaya Case: The four convicts were originally supposed to be hanged on January 22
New Delhi:
In deeply distressing and emotional scenes outside Delhi’s Patiala House Court this evening Nirbhaya’s mother, Asha Devi broke down and cried after the execution of the four men convicted in the 2012 gangrape, torture and murder of her 23-year-old daughter was postponed for a second time.
Asha Devi told reporters that the convicts’ lawyer, AP Singh, bragged to her in open court that “the hanging will never happen”. However, drawing on seemingly endless reserves of courage and patience, she hit back saying she would continue to fight for justice and would not stop till the convicts, whom she said “have no right to live” were hanged.
“I want everyone to hear… I want Delhi government to listen… I want the central government to listen… the courts and the government are bowing their heads before these criminals,” a distraught mother cried out, saying, “We keep getting disappointed by the system”.
“I have been sitting here (in the court) since 10 am. If the court wanted to spare these criminals again, then why take so long? Why make us sit and hope for so long? We waited all this time, with hope… why not send us home?” she continued.
Hours before they were to hang, the four convicts got another last minute reprieve after the court deferred their execution. They will not be hanged until further orders.
Multiple petitions have been filed by the four in their attempts to stall their execution, which had first been set for January 22 and then moved to Saturday, February 1.
Asha Devi hit out at a judicial system that, she said, had allowed the convicts to delay justice.
“The government is allowing them to escape… my child had no right to live… these people committed a crime but their right is to repeatedly postpone the execution,” she cried.
Asha Devi and Badrinath, Nirbhaya’s father, have run from pillar to post over the past eight years desperately seeking justice for their daughter.
Ten days ago Nirbhaya’s parents were forced to see yet another petition filed by the convicts – this one claiming, yet again, that one of the men was a minor at the time of the crime.
“It is just a tactic to delay the execution. His petition was canceled in 2013 by the Supreme Court. The review petition was also dismissed by the court. He’s doing it just to waste time,” she hit out.
And last month, after yet more delays, Asha Devi broke down and cried out of desperation, once more, questioning the government if the perpetrators of this horrific crime had more rights than the victim.
“Wherever we go, we are told about the rights of the convicts. What about our rights?” she demanded.
Moved by her tears, the judge consoled her and said while he had “full sympathy” he was bound to follow the law.
On December 16, 2012, the young woman who came to be known as “Nirbhaya” was gang-raped by six men on a moving bus, tortured and thrown off the vehicle. She died on December 29.
The savage assault stunned the nation and angry protesters filled the streets demanding justice.
Of the six men, one was found hanging in jail. The youngest, just short of 18 when the crime was committed, was released after three years in a reform home.
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