NEW DELHI: "We will take our battle for justice across India to awaken governments and law makers," said a heartbroken Asha Devi, mother of the December 16 gangrape victim, after Supreme Court today rejected a plea against release of the juvenile convict in the case.
Devi said notwithstanding the release of the juvenile convict yesterday, she and her husband Badri Singh will continue their fight to ensure death penalty for rest of the four rapists who are currently lodged in Tihar jail. "Despite our repeated pleas and demands for not setting the juvenile free, he has been released. We are dejected, shattered. But we will not stop and continue our fight to ensure that the other four rapists are hanged.
"We met with disappointment at every door, we are heart broken, but not crushed," Devi told PTI. The Supreme Court rejected the plea by Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal against release of the juvenile offender.
Devi said both she and Singh had felt that the plea would be rejected and that their sufferings were being used by others to hog the limelight. "Supreme Court's verdict was what we had expected. How many more rapes, how many more murders will have to take place for the government to change laws?
"Nothing in India has changed since December 16, 2012. All promises and statements made by our leaders and ministers have turned out to be shallow. Our suffering gives them their moment in limelight," she said.
The parents of the victim along with hundreds of youths and activists gathered at Jantar Mantar for the third consecutive day demanding death penalty for the convicts of the gangrape case.