Nirbhaya verdict is a reminder to sexual predators: Congress

As the Supreme Court upheld its earlier verdict upholding the death sentence of four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape case, the Congress Party on Friday hoped the order would serve as a reminder to "sexual predators" before even thinking of committing such heinous crimes.

Lauding the verdict, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjwewala told ANI, "Nirbhaya's case would remain an example, a deterrent, to all the sexual predators that law and justice for the victims of sexual exploitation and rape will always be delivered, come what may. It is also a reminder to the society and lawmakers to work towards building a safe environment for our women."

Quoting the figures from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Surjewala highlighted that despite the establishment of Rs. 1,000 crore worth Nirbhaya fund, the Centre has been unable to build effective infrastructure to redress the rape victim's grievances.

"Six women still undergo trauma of rape in the national capital of Delhi every day. Rs. 1,000 crore of Nirbhaya fund that was set up, remains unutilized. 161 stop centers for victims of rape that was supposed to be set up, only so far 20 centers have been set up.National Crime Record Bureau records that there is a 22 percent spurt in rapes against women. All these are worrisome data and hopefully the government of the day takes note and take decisive action," he said.

Expressing similar views, another Congress leader and senior lawyer K.T.S Tulsi said, "This judgment will create the fear of law in the mind of people who think that they can get away with anything. They will realise that the arm of law is very long and it is not possible to always to get away and when there is such a widespread anger of the society."

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

The convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh - 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.

Jsutice Misra upheld rape as depravity and not curable and recently passed a woman friendly judgment saying that "no woman can be compelled to love; she always has right to say no".

In December, 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.