2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case: Juvenile culprit now 'settled' in South India as SC confirms death penalty to other 4 accused

In a historic judgement, Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death penalty to four convicts in 2012 Nirabhay gang rape case. From the six accused, the main culprit Ram Singh had committed suicide in his jail cell days after the arrest, whereas another accused who was juvenile at the time of the crime was given a sentence of three years and released thereafter. 

The juvenile culprit in the brutal Nirbhaya gang rape case was released after serving his sentence on December 20, 2015,  and is now reportedly working at a restaurant somewhere in South India. 

According to report in a Hindi daily, the underage culprit was always scared of death after release, thus the officer in charge of his 'after care' relocated him to one of the southern states. 

Read | Nirbhaya gang rape shocked collective conscience of humanity, scientific evidence sealed fate of convicts: SC

His location, identity and the past have all been kept hidden by officers in charge of his safety, a report in Navbharat Times said. 

Even his employer is not aware of his true identity and past, the reported quoted officer in charge. 

The juvenile was released from jail amid a lot of public rage, as people found it unfair that he got away with a mere three years of the sentence, even as he was credited to some of the most heinous acts done to Nirbhaya.

"When he was released, there were many people trying to find him and kill him. This instigated police to relocate him and protect his identity," the report said.  After release, the juvenile was kept with an NGO and was later employed with a famous restaurant chain in South India. 

In the immediate aftermath of the shocking gang rape case, the public had collectively demanded death penalty for all six culprits in the crime, including for the juvenile. Several public groups and NGOs had requested government to ammend the law to make it possible for him to be tried as adult. But he was tried as a juvenile as he was few months shy of age 18 at the time of the crime. 

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