The struggle of 8 years finally pays off

The much-awaited morning we all were wanting to see happen to rise yesterday as the four culprits- Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, and Mukesh Singh of Nirbhaya Gang Rape Case were hanged to death at 5:30 am in Tihar Jail on Friday.

The SC bench rejected the stay notice of the defence lawyer, AP Singh in the late-night hearing and asked to continue with the verdict as said.

In 2012, the nation declared a war soon after the news outbreak of Nirbhaya Rape Case. The day of 16 December, 2012 brought a galled feeling across the nation as the young girl was raped and fatally assaulted in Munirka, a neighborhood in South Delhi.

What happened that day?

The young girl with her friend after watching the movie around 8:30 pm took a chartered bus to home, it's often seen that the chartered busses pick passengers in odd hours. The same happened that day while the two were going back home, a group of men entered the empty bus.

They looted the two and beated the friend, after that they torchured and physically assaulted Nirbhaya. Later they threw the naked body of the girl, wiped the blood marks in the bus from the her clothes before putting them into fire.

Nirbhaya died after two weeks of this incident in Singapore where she was being treated for her internal injuries in body and brain. Before the death she gave a briefing of what happened with her which helped to file the FIR.

After the charge sheet filled against the culprits, all the six were taken into custody one amongst them died in the police custody, the other being a minor was sent to three years imprisonment in a reform facility.

The other four fighted 8 years battle for their freedom but were found guilty and got hanged to death today morning.

The SC in its verdict on May 5, 2017, upheld the death penalty for all the four convicts stating that "The Nirbhaya rape-cum-murder case is rarest of rare case and we are compelled to give extreme punishment to ensure justice."

Womenia spoke to wide section of women from all walks of life and gauged their views on this issue.

"In such a case where women's sexuality and respect is abused I support the punishment of life imprisonment and the death penalty.

Indian constitution system gives more space to the accused to prove himself innocent as our system is honest and we don't punish the innocent.

Even if it takes time but our system punishes the culprit and serves the Justice."

—Mhejabeen, women rights activist, Criminal Lawyer HC

"For me, it's an act been implemented though belatedly and no Justice according to me has been served.

Whether it's about nirbhaya or any such rape victim in India Justice will be served when the government of India or government of Telangana will take some measures to see that such an incident will never happen again, this approach will bring confidence in every Indian woman.

There's no measure taken for the men to give a strict warning that if they do so, they will be criminalised. Why will they change the approach towards women if the law institutions are not serious?"

— Dr Lubna Sarwath, General Secretary of Socialist Party (India)

"Justice cannot be denied, we generally think justice delayed is justice denied but its not so. We are happy about this but we should also look into matters of other victims and must fight for them.

I was just thinking about a minor girl who got rapped but her FIR wasn't filled and the case was neglected as she belonged from a poor dalit family.

So I think the Justice should be given to all and implementation should be done equally to all the women. "

—Jameela Nishat, founder, director of NGO Shaheen

"It feels really good knowing that Justice finally has been served as we all were waiting for it.

Although it took 8 years but now I think with the implementation of Act and knowing such strict verdicts of punishment can be passed anyone with such rape thoughts will think twice and will be scared before committing such a heinous act."

- Adha Sharma, Actress

"I feel we should have punished them long back as it was unthinkable how they behaved with the girl, I don't think the Judicial system should have considered or thought of delaying.

The first thing the Judicial system or the government should do is to punish the culprit so that the next time any other person doesn't even think about it.

I feel sorry for the parents who were so tourchered even to get justice for their daughter.

But I'm happy for the Nirbhaya Act as this will put some theory in the people's mind, the consciousness of the rope hanging on their head must be there before they have such a thought."

— Kushalya Reddy, Kuchipudi Dancer