New Delhi (Sputnik) – In one of the most awaited verdicts, India's apex court has upheld the death sentences of three convicts concerning the infamous Delhi gang rape and murder case of 2012. On May 5, 2017, the Supreme Court of India had ordered the death penalty for four people accused in the case, three of which had filed a review petition to change their sentences to life in prison.
READ MORE: Mob Justice: Two Rape Accused Lynched by Angry Mob in India's North East (VIDEO)
On Monday, the court stated that it would exercise its review jurisdiction only in cases where there were apparent errors resulting in a miscarriage of justice.
"There is no error apparent upon the face of the record," the bench said.
The victim's family welcomed the court's decision and has demanded the execution of the convicts as soon as possible.
SC upheld death sentence for Nirbhaya convicts apart from this a MP Court recently awarded death sentence in the rape of minor girl. These are the first verdicts after the new law came into force. The stringent measures taken by the govt are working: Union Minister Maneka Gandhi pic.twitter.com/0jtlD33LtC
— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2018
"Our struggle does not end here. Justice is getting delayed. It's affecting other daughters of the society. I request the judiciary to tighten their judicial system, serve justice to Nirbhaya by hanging them as soon as possible and help other girls and women," Asha Devi, mother of the victim said.
— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) July 9, 2018
The case dates back to December 16, 2016, when a 23-year-old woman in India's capital Delhi was mercilessly raped inside a moving bus by six men, had iron rods drilled into her private parts and was dumped on the roadside to die. The incident had sparked massive public outrage with protest demonstrations held across the country for months, forcing the government to amend rape laws to provide for more stringent punishment.
READ MORE: Anti-Slave Trade Activists Abducted, Raped in India After Street Performance
Of the six accused, one committed suicide in Delhi's Tihar jail during the course of the trial. Another one, being a juvenile, was sentenced to three years in a remand home upon conviction. The remaining four were handed the death penalty by the court.
