The mother of Nirbhaya, the name given to a gang-rape victim walked out of court on Tuesday with tears of joy rolling down her cheeks, and with a proud smile she gestured towards the public and media with a victory sign.
But it’s not been so easy. She could finally wear that smile 2,578 days after her 23-year-old daughter’s modesty was outraged, leaving the country shocked at the brutality meted out to her by six people, including a juvenile in a moving bus in Delhi on 16 December 2012.
Speaking to Sputnik, Asha Devi, Nirbhaya’s mother said that every day was a nightmare and that finally justice has been served.
“It has taken 7 long years, running from pillar to post and knocking every possible door but finally I can say my daughter has been served justice. I have smiled after so long, the judgement is every woman’s victory", she said.
She further said the hanging of the victims will empower every woman in the country.
“Decisions like these will help people to trust our judicial system again. I request the court to make such strong judgements in the rape cases pending in the courts so that all those mothers who are still waiting for justice can have the same smile on their faces as well".
Meanwhile, Nirbhaya’s father Badrinath Singh said that the decision would instill a sense of fear among people indulging in such heinous crimes.
Nirbhaya’s parents are now waiting for 7 a.m. on 22 January when the four convicts will be hanged and the couple will finally see justice being done for their deceased daughter.
On Tuesday, Sessions Court Judge Satish Arora at Delhi’s Patiala House pronounced the death sentence on all four - Mukesh, Ravi, Vinay, and Akshay convicted in the brutal gang rape that happened on board a bus in India in 2012.
The four men, meanwhile, have been given 14 days to appeal, and the Patiala House court has given them 14 days to file mercy petitions with the president and the Supreme Court.
A fifth accused, Ram Singh allegedly committed suicide inside the jail while the sixth accused who was a juvenile, has served his punishment at a juvenile home.