Nirbhaya gang rape: Supreme Court took decision under pressure, claims advocate of accused

Minutes after the Supreme Court dismissed review pleas filed by three of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, advocate of the accused on Monday claimed that the verdict was taken under public, political and media pressure.

"This decision was taken under public, political and media pressure. I totally disagree with this order as justice has not been given to them," Advocate AP Singh told ANI.
Singh further said the fourth convict, Akshay, will file a review petition shortly.

"Akshay Kumar Singh has not filed a review petition yet. We will be filing it soon. He could not be present today as he had some family problem which he had to cater to," he said.

Upholding its earlier order, the Supreme Court earlier in the day dismissed review pleas filed by three of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case.

The judgment came in response to a review petition filed by three death row convicts- Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta- against the Supreme Court order of May 2017, which said that Nirbhaya's rapists and killers should be hanged.

Speaking to ANI, Asha Devi, the mother of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim, said, "I am very happy with the judgment. The sentencing should happen soon."

The verdict came nearly six years after five men and a juvenile raped a 23-year-old girl on a moving bus in Delhi.

The girl, who succumbed to her injuries 13 days after the incident, was named Nirbhaya, meaning fearless, by a section of the media.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan and R Bhanumathi, pronounced the verdict after reviewing petitions.

--ANI