Nirbhaya rapists get what they deserved
The Supreme Court's verdict, upholding the death sentence for the four accused in the infamous Nirbhaya gang rape case, is justice done. It should come as a great relief to Nirbhaya's parents and also the entire nation, especially women. Though a trifle delayed, the judgement will go a long way to instil the fear of law in the minds of criminal-minded people. Earlier, a trial court had sentenced the accused to death, and the Delhi High Court had upheld the verdict. Given the nature of the crime, which was inhuman, barbaric, brutal and diabolic, the apex court has done well to not treat this case as a stray incident of rape. Commuting the death sentence to the guilty would have been a betrayal of Nirbhaya and the battle for justice that her parents have fought over the years despite their personal grief. The judiciary has set a firm example which should re-double the common man's faith in our judicial system. Side by side, this verdict will also become a reference point for similar cases that are pending in various courts in the country. There's no need to listen to bleeding hearts, who are bound to oppose the death sentence on a matter of ‘principle'. Now, it is up to the President, to whom the matter is certain to reach, to reject their mercy plea. The savage crime that happened on the night of December 16, 2012, on a moving bus where the victim, Nirbhaya, was brutally assaulted and subsequently gang-raped, had left the victim in a critical condition. Battling for her life, she died in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012. None can forget the crime and the cold night that brought forth an unprecedented outpouring of anger and made the entire country introspect about the security of women and how they should be treated. It aroused the consciousness of the entire nation, including that of our leaders, many of whom were vocal in demanding death sentence to the guilty. People came down to streets, demanding justice, undertaking candle-light marches; they clashed with the police and were not even deterred by water cannons and tear gas shells — such was the outrage.
Such was the anger that there was a collective call for the need of a stringent law to deal with the perpetrators of heinous crimes against women. Subsequently, our parliamentarians swung into action and laws were changed; new anti-rape provisions were enacted; several committees too were formed to ensure speedy justice. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, which earlier did not allow trial and punishment of juveniles aged less than 18 of years, even if they were accused of committing heinous crimes, was recently amended so that they did not get away. One of the turning points in the Nirbhaya case had been the juvenile, who was an equal perpetrator of the crime, but was allowed to be set free after serving a small term in a reformatory home. However, a lot more needs to be done for the safety of women. The Rs 1,000 crore Nirbhaya fund, that is allocated by the Union Government every year, for various schemes to ensure the safety and security of women, remains unutilised every year. The judiciary has done its bit; the Government must now pull up its socks and focus on delivering equality and security to women.