DCW questions Tihar jail on delay in executing Nirbhaya convicts

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to Tihar Jail authorities over the delay in the execution of those convicted in the Nirbhaya murder case.

In its notice, the DCW asked authorities to update the commission on whether an order authorising the execution of the death sentence has been issued or not, and submit reasons, in case execution orders have not been issued.

The authorities have been asked to submit a reply by September 15.

"Almost six years have passed since Nirbhaya was raped and murdered. The incident shook the entire country. Despite the entire country taking to the streets to protest the incident, crimes like rape have only increased since then. Our country's capital, Delhi, is today disgraced with having received the tag of 'Rape Capital' of the world. Little girls as young as 11 months old have been brutally raped in the recent past in the Capital. A major reason for such crimes to continue unabated is the lack of deterrence created by the system. There appears to be hardly any fear of law in the minds of the perpetrators. Therefore, it is extremely crucial that the death sentence awarded to the rapists of Nirbhaya is executed at the earliest in order to create a strong deterrence in the society. Nirbhaya and her parents deserve justice," said Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal.

On July 9, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence awarded to four of the accused in May 2017 after three of them - Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, and Pawan Gupta - filed a petition in the court to review the judgment. Akshay Singh, the fourth convict, did not file a review petition against his death sentence.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice R. Bhanumathi upheld the death penalty, with the decision being hailed across the country.

The 23-year-old girl, who was named Nirbhaya (fearless) by the media, was gang-raped by five men and a juvenile in a moving bus in Delhi in 2012.

Ram Singh, the leader of the gang that raped the girl, allegedly committed suicide in jail nearly three months after the crime, while the juvenile was convicted by the Juvenile Justice Board and was let off in December 2015 after serving three years in a reformation home.