Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case: Political parties hail SC verdict

 Political parties today lauded in one voice the Supreme Court's order upholding the death sentence for four men in the December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder case, saying justice has been delivered and the verdict will act as a "deterrent" against such heinous crimes.

Hailing the apex court's decision as "victory of the rule of law", Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad favoured continuance of death penalty in the statute, saying he was satisfied that it was invoked in the rarest of rare instance like gang rape and murder of the paramedical intern which had triggered nation-wide outrage. "It's a big day for the country's rule of law. There was a public outcry and tension in the country regarding this case. People were angry. The injustice done to the brave girl was shameful and cruel. The country was waiting (for the verdict)," Prasad said.

"It proves that through the way of law, we can curb such offences and punish the offenders," he said. When asked about the juvenile who was in conflict with the law in this case, he said it was a "worrisome" issue but has to be dealt with as democracy matured further. "On one hand, the juvenile's rights have to be maintained and, on the other hand, they also commit crimes. It's a worrisome matter. But this issue has to be dealt with as per the maturity of the democracy," Prasad said.

Noting that justice has been delivered after the heart- breaking gang rape-cum-murder case that agonised the soul of India, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said the verdict is a reminder to all to work tirelessly toward building a safe and secure environment for women. "I feel deeply for the courageous family of this brave daughter of India, who rose to become a symbol of every woman's fight against sexual violence," she said in a statement.

Terming it an attack "most brutal, barbaric and diabolical", the Supreme Court today upheld the death sentence for four men convicted of the savage rape and murder of the young woman who came to be known by an outraged nation as "Nirbhaya", the fearless. Signalling closure of the sensational case that had deeply disturbed the collective conscience of the country and triggered a change in India's rape laws, a three-judge bench termed the December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder a "rarest of rare" case that had sent a "tsunami of shock" all over.

At the AICC briefing party spokesperson Kapil Sibal said the Congress party welcomes the Supreme Court verdict and all should strive to create an atmosphere where such brutal incidents are not repeated. He cited NCRB figures of 2016 to attack the government and asked when would women feel secure in this country and when would the law and order improve. "The state of affairs in our cities is such that crimes against women are on the rise and Delhi has emerged as the number one state among various states.

"When will the law and order situation improve and who will make women secure and safe? What steps will the government take in doing so. We welcome the Supreme Court verdict and we all should create such conditions that women feel safe and secure," he told reporters. Union minister Maneka Gandhi said the verdict will act as a "severe deterrent" against such heinous crimes. "A judgement like this was necessary to send a stern message to people who commit such heinous crimes, and future offenders, especially juveniles, who may commit such acts," she said.

Asked if justice was delayed, she said, "It has been close to five years, but in this country getting justice takes decades. So justice definitely has been done. I am happy. The whole country is happy." She, however, underlined that there was a need to fast- track such cases. "Justice delivered in four-and-a-half years is still a miracle," she said. The 23-year-old woman was gang-raped on the wintry night of December 16, 2012 and brutalised, an act that triggered nation-wide outrage and made the country rally together for justice, lending her the moniker of 'Nirbhaya'. BJP spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri lauded the Supreme verdict, saying it sends out a strong message.

"Our party has always favoured strictest punishment for the accused in a heinous crime like rape. We welcome the apex court's order," he said. Crimes against women, he said, are a major challenge to their empowerment and tough measures should be taken to punish accused. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to twitter, saying the verdict reminds people about the duty of ensuring women's safety.
"Nirbhaya case shook the conscience of the nation. Final verdict reminds all of us about our duty towards ensuring women safety," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said.

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also welcomed the Supreme Court verdict but questioned the "flawed" judicial process for not giving similar punishment to those guilty in the "equally heinous" Bilkis Bano gang-rape case. "As far as the SC verdict is concerned, the CPI(M) has been demanding maximum penalty for those guilty in the Nirbhaya case. The SC has upheld the Delhi HC verdict. "However, our principled opposition to death penalty remains," Karat said.