7 years of Nirbhaya case: 'Say no to violence against women', urges Mamata Banerjee

The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter on Monday morning and recalled the horrific Nirbhaya rape case on its seventh anniversary. She asserted that this incident "shook" the country seven years ago. Banerjee also urged that all the citizens should work together to make the country a safe and secure place for women.

Nirbhaya's mother appeals to the government

During the last week, Nirbhaya's mother had appealed to the government to end their seven-year-long fight against the rape convicts as soon as possible. She said, "I have not written any letter. I have just pleaded that this should be the end. We have struggled for seven years. I appeal that the govt and the Supreme Court should defer their all petitions and hang them soon. If they will be hanged on 16th, then nothing is better than this. A strong message will go to the people if they hang on the same day. This justice will be for the whole country not only us". However, the court will be hearing, one of the accused, Akshay Kumar's plea, on December 17, seeking a review of the apex court's 2017 judgement that pronounced capital punishment for the convicts.

Read: Nirbhaya rape case: All convicts summoned by the court to ensure 'exercise of legal options'

The Nirbhaya case

A 23-year-old paramedic student Nirbhaya was gang-raped inside a running bus by six persons on December 16 in 2012 in Delhi. The victim was severely assaulted and thrown out on the road along with her male friend and succumbed to injuries a few days later. Out of the six convicts, one reportedly committed suicide in prison, while another, a juvenile, served maximum punishment of three years in a reform home and was set free in 2015.

Read: Nirbhaya rape case: Convict to file for review challenging Supreme Court's death penalty

The remaining four rapists were convicted and handed death sentence by a trial court in 2013, confirmed by the Delhi High Court in March 2014. The Supreme Court upheld the Delhi High Court's verdict in 2017. In July 2018, the SC rejected the review pleas filed by the three convicts for a re-examination of its 2017 judgment. The Tihar jail administration had issued a notice to the convicts on October 31 this year reminding them about the mercy petition being their last option after exhausting all other legal options. 

Read: Nirbhaya rapist cites Delhi air, wedding in horrific plea challenging death - hang him now

Read: Tihar Jail asks UP for two hangmen, speculation over Nirbhaya killers' execution rises