Nirbhaya gang rape shocked collective conscience of humanity, scientific evidences sealed fate of convicts: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentences of four convicts of the brutal gang-rape and murder of 23-year-old physiotherapy student.

Terming the crime as brutal, barbaric and diabolic, the court said the incident shook the conscience of humanity and they deserved the extreme punishment.

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, while upholding the death sentence awarded to the four convicts—Pawan Kumar Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh and Akshay Kumar Singh—observed that the DNA profile developed from the blood stains obtained from the iron rods was consistent with the DNA of the victim.

The apex court accepted all the Scientific and forensic evidence like DNA, fingerprints and bite marks analysis and this is how the fate of the four convicts in the December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder case sealed.

The apex court, which upheld the death sentence awarded to the four convicts - Pawan Kumar Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh and Akshay Kumar Singh—said the recent advancements in modern biological research has regularised forensic science resulting in radical help in the administration of justice.

“The DNA profiling, which has been done after taking due care for quality, proves to the hilt the presence of the accused persons in the bus and their involvement in the crime.  The submission that certain samples were later taken from the accused and planted on the deceased to prove the DNA Must Read: Women security at stake: Nirbhaya Fund ‘hardly utilised’ says Supreme Courtaspect is noted only to be rejected because it has no legs to stand upon,” it said.

Also Read: E-portal for women employees to file complaints against sexual harassment

Justifying the death penalty, the court said, if the dreadfulness of the men who raped and inserted iron rod in the victim’s private parts, does not fall in the ‘rarest of rare category’, then one may wonder what else will.

Rejecting the appeal of accused the apex court said, “the circumstances stated by the accused in their affidavits are too slender to be treated as mitigating circumstances.”

The injuries caused to the December 16 gang rape victim by “horrendous” use of two iron rods by the convicts were so grave that death was an “inevitable consequence”, the Supreme Court said.

“The present case is one where there can be no denial that the narrative is long, the investigation has been cautious and to bring home the charge, modern and progressive scientific methods have been adopted,” it said.

The police had said that in a most “inhumane” manner, the iron rods were inserted into the private parts of the victim and the men had also taken out her internal organs.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel had claimed that the police had fabricated the story about the use of iron rods as neither the victim nor her friend, who was also assaulted inside the bus, had mentioned about it in their first statements.

In its verdict, the bench said, “A victim who has just suffered a ghastly and extremely frightening incident cannot be expected to immediately come out of the state of shock and state the finest details of the incident.

In the end, justice prevailed and the entire nation along with politicians and film stars have expressed their satisfaction and thanked the Supreme Court.