In the wake of the verdict in the December 16 gangrape case, the parents of two convicts on Friday cried foul and alleged the punishment was given under media pressure.
"You have got what you wanted. Now never come here again," said Champa, mother of Vinay Sharma before fainting at the doorstep of her one-room shanty at Ravidas camp in South Delhi.
A fast track court handed down death sentenced to Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh for the gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student inside a bus on December 16 last year.
The neighbours said the families of Pawan Gupta and Vinay had locked themselves inside their houses since early morning, anticipating "severest punishment" to their sons. Families of Ram Singh and his brother Mukesh, who also resided in the camp, were not to be seen.
"Their parents had come for just two-three days after the incident happened and left. Since then, the house is locked," said a neighbour.
In the evening, a few hours after the verdict was pronounced, Pawan's father Hira Lal stepped out of the home. "My son is innocent. There is no evidence against him. He was with me on the evening of December 16, when police said the crime was committed. He has been falsely implicated in the case," Lal alleged.
Lal claimed the verdict was given under pressure of the media. "My son was with me at the stall. He was detained the next evening from the shop itself. I don't know who took his name, Ram Singh or Mukesh. They used to take fruits from our stall without paying money, due to which a few fights have taken place."
Pawan's mother Indra Devi was angry with the media and charged it with being responsible for the punishment awarded to her son. "Now that all your demands have been fulfilled, go away from here. Has anyone been able to get his finger prints?" she shouted before locking herself once again in the house.
Meanwhile, the victim's mother told reporters inside the courtroom, immediately after the capital punishment was pronounced, "We were waiting with bated breath, now we are relieved. I thank the people of my country and the media." The family members, including father and two younger brothers of the victim, who had refrained from speaking to media before the order, heaved a sigh of relief on hearing the decision which they had been demanding. One of the victim's brothers said, "This is true justice for my sister." He said it had been hard to watch the four accused men "laughing" during the trial and that the family were "very happy" with the sentencing.
Hearing that they will face the gallows, Vinay started crying in court while the other three convicts-Mukesh, Pawan, Akshay-started shouting for pardon, with one of the defence lawyers A P Singh also joining them in seeking mercy. Special public prosecutor Dayan Krishnan said, "I have done my job and we (prosecution) are happy with the verdict."
Advocate V K Anand, who appeared for Mukesh, said he has regard for the verdict and he will file an appeal in the Delhi High Court. Singh said he will move high court only "if no other rape take place in next two months after this verdict". "If the country wanted this case to be a deterrent, I will wait for two months to see the crime scene. If no rape takes place due to death being given in the instant case, I will give in writing that my clients be hanged," he said.
Another defence counsel Sadashiv Gupta said "I am dissatisfied with the verdict. My client (Pawan) is innocent. Our arguments have not been considered properly. We will certainly challenge the judgement in the high court".
Vinay, who started crying and screaming after the order, sat down in the courtroom when the police personnel came to take him back to jail. While returning to the police van, Akshay, Vinay and Pawan were seen weeping while Mukesh maintained his calm and composure.
Soon after the verdict was delivered at 14:30 hours, people waiting outside the courtroom started clapping. The post-lunch work at the Saket Court had come to a standstill with court staff members and litigants eagerly waiting for the pronouncement of the quantum of sentence. The corridors of six-storeyed court building was crowded with people.
Comments
0 comment