Fast-track rape cases, urge December 16 gang-rape victim's parents

The parents of the December 16 gang-rape victim, who on December 29, 2012 died at a hospital in a Singapore hospital where she had been airlifted for specialised treatment, said on Tuesday rape cases must be fast-tracked, and rapists be executed for the rarest of rare crimes.

At a gathering at Rajghat here on their daughter's third death anniversary, the parents also demanded that punishment be meted out to rapists at the earliest.

The death sentence of four of the six rapists has been stayed by the Supreme Court, following an appeal challenging the high court order upholding their conviction and death sentence. While one accused committed suicide in Delhi's Tihar jail, a juvenile convict who spent three years in a correction home has now been released.

On Tuesday, the victim's parents visited Gandhi Samadhi to remember their daughter.

"Today, we are demanding three things. First, rapists must be punished at the earliest and should be hanged for the rarest of rare crimes," said Badrinath Singh, the victim's father.

"Our second demand is that fast-tracking of cases should not be restricted to the district courts. It should be extended to the Supreme Court," he said.

"Third, a Nirbhaya forensics lab should be set up with the government's Nirbhaya fund. There is no proper forensics lab in India and this delays and denies justice to victims," he added.

Badrinath said they would start an agitation on January 29 next month if the convicts were not handed out the punishment.

Speaking to IANS, Badrinath Singh expressed disappointment over women's safety in the capital.

"Things are not improving. There is a rise in the number of such cases in the capital," he said.

Yogita Chakraborty, convener of the Nirbhaya Jyoti Trust, said there was "delay" in passing the Juvenile Justice Bill in parliament.

"The Juvenile Justice Bill was passed in parliament due to public pressure," she said.