Nirbhaya's parents heave a sigh of relief after apex court's verdict confirms death sentence to four convicts. Parents do not want juvenile to be set free.
Asha Devi and BN Singh heaved a sigh of relief when the Supreme Court on Friday, rejecting their mercy petition, confirmed the death sentence on the four convicts, accused of raping and fatally assaulting their daughter. Speaking to the media, the parents said that they can finally sleep peacefully tonight.
"Justice delayed but not denied. We were waiting for this very day since last five years. We will finally sleep peacefully tonight. We are really grateful to the judiciary," said Asha Devi, mother of 23-year-old paramedical student Jyoti, and victim of the gruesome gang rape in Delhi in 2012.
According to the parents, the journey to justice was not easy for them and in fact, it felt like "100 years." "I can't explain what my family has gone through. Rape is just a four-letter word but the stigma attached to it is huge. I have known the pain a victim and her family have to face," Nirbhaya's mother said as she wiped her teary eyes.
The parents insisted the media call their daughter by her name saying, "Those who are guilty should feel ashamed of being known by their names. Why should we hide her name," asked her father BN Singh.
The timing of the verdict is even more special for the parents, they said, as it comes just ahead of their daughter's birthday on May 10. Singh recalling his strong bond with her said, "I used to treat her like a boy. I wanted her to become an independent and fearless woman. But it was that fateful night when I actually realised her invincible strength."
Even as they were delighted with the SC's decision, the parents wanted the juvenile to be given a similar treatment. "The juvenile should also be given death sentence. He should not be allowed to go free," rued the mother. She also demanded that separate fast-track courts handle such cases.
Abha Devi, who started the “Nirbhaya Jyoti trust” to help rape survivors, now wants to work for the cause. “Our struggle doesn’t end here. We will continue to fight against social evils and help those who go through this trauma,” she said.
On the night of December 16, 2012, Nirbhaya was gang-raped and tortured by five men and a juvenile in a moving bus while she was coming back with her friend from a movie. Hours later, she was dumped on the road naked and bleeding. She died of intestinal injuries two weeks later in a Singapore hospital, where she had been taken for specialised treatment.
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