The first verdict in the December 16 gangrape and murder of a paramedic is likely to be pronounced on Saturday by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) which had concluded the inquiry against the minor, one of the six accused in the case.
The Board is expected to deliver the verdict as the apex court had on August 22 allowed it to pronounce the judgement in the case against the juvenile, who according to the police, was the “most brutal” of all the six accused persons. The pronouncement of verdict had been deferred by the Board four times since July 11.
The JJB, presided over by Principal Magistrate Geetanjali Goel, had been postponing the verdict on grounds that the Supreme Court is to decide on maintainability of a PIl seeking fresh interpretation of the term ‘juvenile’ in the statute. The Board had concluded on July 5 its inquiry that began in March against the juvenile. It had reserved the judgement after it heard final arguments from both the prosecution and the defence in the case.
The Board is also expected to pronounce the sentence in the other case against the juvenile pertaining to the robbing of Ramadhar, a carpenter who had boarded the bus on the fateful night of December 16, 2012 and was thrown off the bus before the paramedic and her companion were assaulted. She died in a hospital in Singapore on December 29. The juvenile was held guilty for theft. During the inquiry, the juvenile had denied all charges against him, claiming he was not a participant to the horrendous crime.
While the juvenile faced inquiry before the JJB, the four adult accused are being tried before a fast track court. Key accused Ram Singh was found hanging in Tihar Jail cell block in March and the proceedings against him stand abated.