No other alternative says Karat after SC refuses to stay release of juvenile

Communist Party of India (Marxist) polit bureau member Brinda Karat on Monday said there was no alternative left for the Supreme Court other than to reject the petition against the release of the juvenile convict filed by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).

Array

"There was no alternative for SC and I think everybody knew that. Within the present framework of the law there was no scope for the Supreme Court to take any other stand. And in second case how can anybody believe that the law will take affect with retrospective affect," Karat told ANI here.

Array

She further added that the amendment in Juvenile act needs to be brought and thus discussions must take place.

Array

The Supreme Court today rejected a petition filed by the Delhi Commission for Women against the release of the juvenile convict in what is known as the Nirbhaya gang-rape case, saying it 'shared' the concern of general citizens' but its hands were 'tied' by the law.

"We share your concern but our hands are tied by the existing law. There has to be clear legislative sanction to extend the detention period beyond 3 years. Under the present law, detention cannot be extended beyond three years," the Supreme Court court said.

Array

Six persons, including the juvenile, had assaulted and raped Nirbhaya in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16, 2012.

Array

The victim succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital. Four of the accused were awarded death penalty by the trial court which was later confirmed by the Delhi High Court. Their appeals are pending before the Supreme Court. Another accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail in 2013.