Nirbhaya gang rape: Here is the complete timeline

NEW DELHI: Following is the chronology of events in the sensational December 16, 2012 gangrape-murder case of a 23-year-old woman, in which the Supreme Court today upheld the death penalty of the four convicts:

Nirbhaya, the 23-year-old paramedic, was raped and brutalised on a moving bus in Delhi. She and her male friend were then thrown out of the bus. Nirbhaya lost her battle for life in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.

Dec 16, 2012

NEW DELHI: The safety of women in the National Capital Region (NCR) is an issue that has grabbed headlines on many an occasion, but the gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in a densely populated area late on Sunday left most residents badly shaken. The 23-year-old rape victim was a medical student. The incident happened after she and her 28-year-old male friend boarded a bus. As the bus was passing Mahipalpur, five to six people in the bus started sexually abusing the woman. Her male friend objected to it, but was beaten up, following which the woman was gang-raped. The driver and the conductor of the bus too were allegedly involved in the crime. Later, the woman and her friend were thrown off the vehicle. After police was alerted, a police van rushed them to hospital. The woman is battling for her life in the Safdarjung Hospital and is on ventilator support. Her male friend was discharged on Monday. The woman, from Ballia in UP, is an intern in a city hospital. Police traced the bus to a school campus in Noida. Late on Monday, police claimed to have arrested the bus driver in connection with the incident. NIE

VERDICT – May 5, 2017

The Supreme Court has confirmed the death sentence for four convicts in the gang rape and brutal murder of a 23-year-old medical student on a moving bus in Delhi on December 16, 2012. The four men - Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh - had appealed in the top court after the High Court ruled that they should be hanged. The parents of the young woman, who came to be called "Nirbhaya" or fearless, were present in court today when the three-judge bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra pronounced verdict.

• Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh were given the death sentence in the Nirbhaya case

• The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence awarded by the Delhi High Court in March 2014

• The SC bench called the gangrape and murder a “devilish” and “barbaric” act

TIMELINE:

May 5, 2017

Four of the men held guilty of raping and torturing a 23-year-old medical student on a moving bus in Delhi in December 2012 will hang, the Supreme Court said today, describing the crime as a "story of a different world". The court referred to the dying declaration of the young woman and said the "brutal and demonic" crime had been proved beyond doubt.

Mar 27, 2017

The Supreme Court reserved its verdict in the brutal 2012 Delhi gang rape case. The Bench, comprising Justice Dipak Misra, Justice R. Banumathi and Justice Ashok Bhushan, reserved the judgment in the appeal filed against the death sentence handed down to four convicts by the Trial Court and the Delhi High Court. Livelaw.in

Feb 3, 2017

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed with amicus curiae and senior advocate Raju Ramachandran that proper procedure was not followed in sentencing to death the four convicts in the sensational December 16 gang-rape and murder case that shocked the nation. A Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra said it would hear afresh aspects on sentencing of the convicts and asked them to file affidavits. The court acknowledged the contention raised by Mr. Ramachandran that the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.PC), relating to sentencing of convicts, was not followed in letter and spirit by the trial court in the case. TH

Nov 7, 2016

Senior Advocate and Amicus Curiae Raju Ramachandran makes his submissions, argues for the sentencing order to be set aside. TOI

April 8, 2016

Senior Advocates Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde appointed Amicus Curiae for the case.

April 3, 2016

Hearings begin in the Supreme Court, after 19 months of being in cold storage. Justices Dipak Misra, V. Gopala Gowda and Kurian Joseph will hear the case. TOI

Dec 21, 2015

The Supreme Court dismissed the plea of Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal against the release of the juvenile convict of the December 16, 2012, gang-rape and murder case, stating that no one can take away “somebody’s right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution”. After the apex court refused to stay the release of the juvenile, parents of the victim — Asha Singh and Badrinath Singh — decided to take to the streets. NIE

Dec 20, 2015

At 5.45 pm, the juvenile convict in the December 16, 2012, horrific gang-rape and murder case of a 23-year-old paramedical student walked out of a special home in northeast Delhi carrying his belongings, including clothes, and was handed over to the staff of a nongovernment organisation at an undisclosed destination in the national capital. The juvenile was released amid huge protests in the city, with the gang-rape victim’s parents — Asha Singh and Badrinath Singh — continuing their opposition to his release along with activists. They also demanded the death penalty for him. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) approached the Supreme Court to stay the juvenile’s release, it proved futile. NIE

Dec 18, 2015

The most vicious among the six offenders — the juvenile — who had brutalised Nirbhaya with an iron rod and ripped out her internal organs with his bare hands on December 16, 2012, is all set to be released from reformation home on Dec 20, at the end of his three-year jail term, unless the Supreme Court stays it. The Delhi High Court said the juvenile cannot be stopped from walking free under the existing provisions of law. A High Court bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said “there cannot be any direction to continue his stay in the special home beyond December 20, 2015”. NIE

Mar 8, 2015

A rapist in a brown and white check shirt staring impassively into the camera, speaking sotto voce that Nirbhaya, the victim of the December 16, 2012, gangrape, had asked for it. A 57-year-old British film producer and actress Leslee Udwin, who picturised him inside the infamous Tihar Jail here, is lamenting the fact that the Indian government has banned her documentary ‘India’s Daughter’ and muzzled the freedom of expression. A missing film producer named Anjali Bhushan. A newborn film company named Tathagath under whose banner Leslee produced the documentary and has left no traces of its existence. The finacier of ‘India’s Daughter’, Tribeca Film Institute which is funded by Ford Foundation, a body under the scanner of Indian agencies for funding PRS India. A carefully constructed web of film companies whose presence fade in and out as if through the lens of a camera. NIE

Mar 6, 2015

The Editors Guild of India urged the government to revoke the ban on the film India’s Daughter to enable people to view “what is a positive and powerful documentary touching on the freedom, dignity and safety” of women. The documentary was aired on BBC’s Channel 4 and has been available online since then despite the government securing a court injunction on its screening across media platforms in the country. HIN

Mar 4, 2015

The Delhi Police issued a notice to the makers of a documentary on the December 16, 2012 gangrape, demanding access to the entire footage of death-row convict Mukesh Singh, who is said to have justified the act of rape in his prison interview. The notice has been sent under Section 91 of the CrPC, which allows issuing of summons to produce documents. The police said the final documentary titled India’s Daughter, directed by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, will be viewed and analysed after which charges will be framed against the persons concerned. IE

July 14, 2014

Nirbhaya gang-rape case: Supreme Court stays hanging of 2 convicts

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed till further orders the execution of death penalty of two of the four convicts in the December 16 gang rape-and-murder case. A bench of justices Ranjana Prakash Desai and NV Ramana said since the death sentence of other convicts have already been suspended by this court, the same order has to be passed. TOI

Mar 15, 2014

The Supreme Court stayed till March 31 the death penalty of two men convicted for the gangrape and murder of a young medical student in a moving bus in Delhi in December 16, 2012. “We stay the execution of Mukesh and Pawan till March 31, 2014,” a Bench comprising Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh said. The Bench considered the plea of Mukesh and Pawan Gupta, asked its registry to forthwith communicate its order to the Tihar Jail authorities. “We direct the registry to communicate the order to the prison authorities forthwith,” it said and directed the registry to place the matter before the Chief Justice of India within eight days for allocating it to the appropriate Bench. (NIE)

Mar 13, 2014

Nirbhaya gang-rape case: Delhi HC upholds death penalty awarded to 4 convicts

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Thursday upheld the death sentence awarded to the four convicts in the brutal gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old girl here on December 16, 2012 that shook the nation's conscience and led to widespread protests. A bench of justices Reva Khetrapal and Pratibha Rani confirmed the sentence of Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh, saying the offence committed by them falls in the category of rarest of the rare and upheld their conviction. "Death reference is accepted. Death sentence awarded by the trial court is affirmed. The appeals of the convicts are dismissed," the bench said. TOI

Nov 11, 2013

Delhi gang-rape case: Convicts invoke Mahatma Gandhi to oppose death penalty

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, two of the convicts on death row for the brutal torture and gangrape of a 23-year-old paramedical student on December 16 contested the trial court's sentence today, telling the Delhi High Court even the father of the nation was against capital punishment. Commencing the arguments for convicts Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur before a bench of justices Reva Khetrapal and Pratibha Rani, advocate A P Singh said awarding "death penalty will not stop crime in society" and the duo don't deserve deterrent punishment in this case. DNA

Oct 27, 2013

Delhi gangrape case: HC dismisses plea for translated documents

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the plea of two of the four accused in the December 16, 2012 gangrape case, seeking Hindi translation of certain documents including the conviction and sentence orders.A division bench of Justice Reva Khetrapal and Justice Pratibha Rani rejected the plea saying the language of the courts in Delhi is English and a translated version is provided only in cases where court proceedings are recorded in a different language. News18

Sep 13, 2013

NEW DELHI: In a landmark judgment, a special fast track court on Friday awarded death sentence to all four men convicted of the brutal gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical stu - dent in a private bus on De- cember 16, 2012. While pronouncing the judgment, the court observed that the gravity of the inci- dent depicts the “hair-raising beastly and unparalleled be- haviour which had not only shocked the collective con- science but also called for the withdrawal of the protective arm of the community around the convicts.” “This ghastly act of the convicts definitely fits this case in the bracket of rarest of rare cases. I award the death sentence to each of the convicts — Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Vinay Shar - ma and Pawan Gupta under IPC 302,” said Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna. While delivering the sen- tence, the judge said, “The increasing trend of crimes against women can be ar- rested only when the society realises that there will be no tolerance for any form of de- viance against women and more so in extreme cases of brutality such as the present one and hence the criminal justice system must instil confidence in the minds of people, especially women.” “The crime of such nature against helpless women re - quires exemplary punish - ment,” he added. NIE

Sep 10, 2013

A Delhi court on Tuesday convicted four men of the gang rape and murder of a 23 year old paramedical student in a moving bus on December 16 last year, an incident that shocked the nation and forced the government to amend the rape law. Addi tional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna convicted the four men Akshay Singh Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh for gang rape, murder and other crimes including unnatural offences, dacoity, destruc tion of evidence, conspiracy and kidnapping in order to murder. “The facts of the case make all accused liable for the cold blooded murder of the defenceless victim and thus the offence under section 302 murder, read with sec tion 120B criminal conspir acy of the Indian Penal Code stands proved and the accused persons are thus convicted,” the judge said. NIE

Aug 31, 2013

Minor convicted, sentenced to 3 years by Juvenile Board

NEW DELHI: In the first conviction in the December 16 gangrape case, the juvenile accused was today found guilty of murder and rape of the 23-year-old girl but he got away with a maximum of three years imprisonment mandated under the juvenile law.The juvenile who was six months short of 18 years—the age of majority—was, however, acquitted by the Juvenile Justice Board of attempt to murder of the paramedic's male friend, who was the sole eye witness to the dastardly incident that shook the nation. Indiatvnews.com

Mar 11, 2013

Main accused Ram Singh commits suicide in Tihar Jail

NEW DELHI: Delhi gang-rape prime accused Ram Singh on Monday committed suicide by hanging himself in Tihar Jail. The incident came to light around 5am. Ram Singh was found hanging inside jail number 3. He was rushed to the jail hospital but declared dead on arrival. The body was then sent for postmortem at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) hospital.Ram Singh hung himself using his clothes probably his own shirt, Tihar sources said."Singh was not alone in the cell. Other inmates were present and a guard was also posted. But nobody came to know about it. Around 5am, he was found hanging," a senior jail official said. TH

Feb 2, 2013

NEW DELHI: The fast-track court on Saturday framed charges against the five Delhi gang-rape accused. The trial in Nirbhaya gang-rape case will begin from Monday. The accused will now face trial for which maximum sentence is death.

Jan 3, 2013

Chargesheet seeks death for 5 accused, leaves out minor

Seeking the maximum of death penalty for five of the Nirbhaya gang rape accused, police on Thursday charged them under various IPC sections, including murder and gang rape. In their bid to speed up the trial, police took the unusual step of filing the chargesheet without incorporating the victim's postmorterm report —the most crucial evidence in the case—as it is still to be received from Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital, where the 23-year-old paramedic had died. TOI

Dec 29, 2012

SINGAPORE: The 23-year-old girl, who put up a brave battle for life after she was gang-raped and brutally assaulted in a Delhi bus a fortnight ago that had created a nationwide outrage, died early on Saturday morning in a hospital here. The girl, was admitted to the well-known multi-organ transplant facility Mount Elizabeth Hospital here on Thursday morning in an extremely critical condition, breathed her last at 4:45am (2:15am India time). She was earlier treated at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. TOI

Dec 26, 2012

Battling for life for the last 11 days, the 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim was flown to Singapore on Thursday in an “extremely critical condition” and was admitted to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital, a multi-organ transplant specialty hospital. The victim, who remained on ventilator support during most part of her treatment in Safdarjung hospital in Delhi, was flown in on an air ambulance early on Thursday morning. A team of doctors and her family members accompanied her. - TH

Dec 21, 2012

The statement of the 23-year-old physiotherapy student, who was gang-raped and assaulted on a moving bus on December 16, was recorded by a sub-divisional magistrate at the Safdarjung Hospital here on Friday night. The doctors on Saturday described her frame of mind as positive. In her detailed statement, which was hailed as “fearless and bold” by Deputy Commissioner of Police (South District) Chhaya Sharma, the victim provided an account of the horror she and her male friend went through on the fateful night. Ms. Sharma said the woman’s statement corroborated that of her 28-year-old software engineer friend. TH

Dec 21, 2012

Delhi Police has claimed to arrest all accused in the Gang Rape of a 23 Year Old Girl on Sunday Night. The Sixth one was nabbed from Aurangabad in Bihar. Akshay Thakur was arrested by a special team of Delhi Police after several raids were conducted at different locations in Bihar.

Dec 18, 2012

Delhi: Two days after a 23-year-old paramedical student was gang-raped onboard a moving bus in the city, four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, while two more are still at large. While the victim was still in a critical condition, battling for life at the Safdarjung hospital, Delhi Police claimed to have solved the case after arresting and interrogating driver Ram Singh, one of the main accused in the case. “Her condition is critical and deteriorating. NE

Dec 17, 2012

It took the Delhi Police less than 24 hours to track down the main accused in the horrific gang-rape and torture of a 23-year-old medical student in Delhi on Sunday evening. Three men have been arrested and three others have been detained. NDTV

Dec 16, 2012

DELHI: The safety of women in the National Capital Region (NCR) is an issue that has grabbed headlines on many an occasion, but the gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in a densely populated area late on Sunday left most residents badly shaken. The 23-year-old rape victim was a medical student. The incident happened after she and her 28-year-old male friend boarded a bus. As the bus was passing Mahipalpur, five to six people in the bus started sexually abusing the woman. Her male friend objected to it, but was beaten up, following which the woman was gang-raped. The driver and the conductor of the bus too were allegedly involved in the crime. Later, the woman and her friend were thrown off the vehicle. After police was alerted, a police van rushed them to hospital. The woman is battling for her life in the Safdarjung Hospital and is on ventilator support. Her male friend was discharged on Monday. The woman, from Ballia in UP, is an intern in a city hospital. Police traced the bus to a school campus in Noida. Late on Monday, police claimed to have arrested the bus driver in connection with the incident. NIE