'Juvenile should not be given lenient punishment in Delhi gang rape case': Barkha Singh

Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Barkha Singh on Thursday said the juvenile being tried in connection with the December 16 gang rape and murder of a paramedic student should not be given lenient punishment.

"We have demanded this from the beginning, that the age for juvenile justice should be lowered. The age limit, which is currently 18, should be reduced, but this didn't happen. But even today, we would want the age to be lowered and this accused should not be given a lenient sentence just because he is a juvenile," she said.

The first verdict in brutal gang rape of a medical student on a moving bus in the national capital last December is expected today by the Juvenile Justice Board which was trying a minor- one of the five accused in the sensational case.

During the inquiry, the juvenile had denied all charges against him and claimed that he was not a participant in the horrendous crime.

While the juvenile faced inquiry before the Juvenile Justice Board, the four adult accused are being tried before a fast track court in Saket.

Ram Singh, one of the key accused, was found hanging in Tihar Jail in March and the proceedings against him stand abated.

Besides the juvenile, four adult accused facing trials in this case are Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur. They have been charged with gangrape, murder, criminal conspiracy, unnatural sex and robbery besides other sections of the IPC.

A 23-year-old medical student was raped, beaten and tortured by six men on a moving bus in South Delhi area on December 16 last year.

The victim later died of internal injuries in a Singapore hospital two weeks later.