New Delhi, September 13
A Delhi fast-track court today ordered that the four men — Akshay Kumar Singh (28), alias Thakur, Mukesh (26), Vinay Sharma (20) and Pawan Gupta (19) — convicted of gang-raping and murdering a 23-year-old girl in the National Capital last year be “hanged by the neck till they are dead”.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Yogesh Khanna said the case fell in the “rarest of rare” category. “The crime of such a nature against a helpless woman, per se, requires exemplary punishment. I may leave here while saying the gravity of the incident depicts the hair-raising beastly and unparalleled behaviour.

Subjecting of the prosecutrix to inhuman acts of torture before her death had not only shocked the collective conscience, but also calls for withdrawal of the protective arm of the community from around the convicts,” the judge said. The convicts were informed that they could appeal against the judgment and sentencing within 30 days.

Except Akshay, the other three convicts broke down in the courtroom after the judge pronounced the judgment. Vinay called out to the judge: “Judge saab, yeh kya kar diya aapne (what have you done!).”

AP Singh, lawyer of Vinay and Akshay, yelled at the judge: “This is not Satyamev Jayate (truth should prevail); this is asatyamev jyate (lies).” The judge didn’t reply and walked out of the courtroom.

The ASJ also sentenced the four convicts to life imprisonment for gang rape, life imprisonment for criminal conspiracy, seven-year jail for abduction and attempt to murder (of the victim’s male friend) and 10-year jail for unnatural sex and dacoity.

“The courts cannot turn a blind eye to the need of sending a strong message to the perpetrators of such crimes. The increasing trends of crimes against women can be arrested only once the society realises that there will be no tolerance to any form of deviance against women. Hence the criminal justice system must instill confidence in the minds of the people, especially women,” read the order.

The victim’s mother said, “I am very happy with the sentencing. I am thankful to the judiciary and the police for working hard to ensure that my daughter got justice. We have finally got a closure.”

“We want the juvenile (the sixth accused in the case) to be hanged as well. He has done such a barbaric act. If he is also given the death sentence, a young boy like him will think 10 times before committing heinous crimes,” said Mandeep Kaur Bakshi, president of the Delhi women wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).