Delhi gangrape: Prosecution seeks death; sentence on Friday
The fast-track court in Delhi reserved its order for 2:30 pm on Friday. The prosecution sought death penalty for the convicts, while the defence sought leniency on the grounds of 'young age'.
September 11, 2013 / 19:11 IST
The arguments on the sentencing of the four convicts in the Delhi gangrape case ended on Wednesday and the fast-track court in Delhi reserved its order for 2:30 pm on Friday.
During the arguments on Wednesday, the prosecution demanded death for the convicts while the defence sought leniency for the convicts on grounds of 'young age'. As the arguments began on Wednesday morning, the prosecution made it clear that it wanted death sentence for all the four convicts. Also read: Delhi gangrape: All four convicted for murderThe prosecution argued that there is no reason to show the convicts mercy as they had killed a helpless girl when even she prayed for mercy. The prosecution said there should be 'no mercy for merciless convicts'. The prosecution while demanding death penalty for all the four convicts cited the judgement in the 1990 Dhananjoy Chatterjee case. Chatterjee was hanged till death for the rape and murder of the 14-year-old girl in 1990 at her home in Bhowanipur. The convicts, meanwhile, sought leniency saying that as of today life imprisonment is the rule and death penalty is an exception. The convicts have also sought leniency on grounds of age. They said the court should show mercy considering their young age. The defence in its argument said that the crime happened at the spur of the moment and was not pre-meditated. AP Singh, the lawyer for convicts Vinay and Akshay, even invoked Mahatma Gandhi in court saying, "God gives life and he alone can take it and not man-made courts." The lawyer asked for one last chance for the convicts to reform. VK Anand, the lawyer for convict Mukesh has said in court, "Punish him for what he has done. Don't punish him for what he has not done. He was only driving the bus." Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishan in his rebuttal said there is no question of giving the convicts a chance to reform. He said the order in this case must set an example. VK Anand had also filed an application saying Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has committed contempt of court by saying all accused will get death in the case. The court has dismissed the application. There were also protests outside the Saket court demanding justice for the Delhi braveheart. On Tuesday, the Delhi court held Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh and Pawan Guptain the gangrape and brutal murder of the Delhi braveheart guilty, in effect upholding the police case that the four, along with now dead Ram Singh and a juvenile, were responsible for the heinous crime. The court also praised the Delhi Police for speedy and scientific investigation. The verdict clearly states, "It stands proved that the prosecutrix died due to injuries inflicted by the accused while committing various offences on the victims, inside the moving bus. There was a clear intention to cause death. As they were thrown out of the bus definitely shows that it has been done with the intention of certainly resulting in death." It also said, “The proof of the complete act of rape by each accused is not required. Liability of all accused is equal." There is growing public chorus to give them dealth penalty. "All the convicted should get death sentence. This is the rule under the new law. A strong verdict should send a message to everyone," BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said. "Delhi Police has done a commendable job in this case. This case comes under the previous laws but under the new laws, such convicts will surely be hanged," Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said. Demanding death penalty for the convicts, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said that compassion is for humanity and not for beasts like the four convicts. She termed it as a crime against the society. The family of the braveheart, too, has demanded death sentence for the convicts. "We are confident that the four convicts will be given a sentence soon. We want them to be sentenced to death," said the mother of the braveheart. Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
