CPI(M) hails Nirbhaya verdict, but frowns over selective justice

Expressing dissent over the Supreme Court's verdict in the brutal Nirbhaya gangrape case, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat on Friday said she is against the selective nature of judicial process.

"I am against death penalty in principle because of the selective nature of judicial process in our country. The court is diluting the maximum punishment and therefore the maximum punishment which has been given according to statured books is as it should be," CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat told ANI.

However, she hailed the apex court's decision for the heinous crime saying that she has no issue with the maximum punishment.

"In principle, I am against death penalty but as far as the heinous crime is concerned the maximum punishment was needed. Certainly there was no issue at all," she added.

Earlier in the day, the apex court upheld the earlier order of death sentence to four convicts in the December 16, 2012 gang rape case.

The matter was heard by the apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and consisting of Justices R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan.

Justice Dipak Misra observed in its order that 'it's a story of some different world'.

"Taking the serious injuries, the severe nature of offence committed by th3e convicts, we are upholding the sentence," the order said.

The next option for the convicts is to appeal against their death sentence to President Pranab Mukherjee.

The convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh had challenged the Delhi High Court order which had sentenced them to the gallows.

Earlier, the trial court had also sentenced all the four convicts to death penalty.

In December 16, 2012, six people gang raped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus. The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.

One of the accused, Ram Singh hanged himself in prison, while another person, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August last year and will serve the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home.