Nirbhaya case: PL Punia lauds hanging of convicts, calls it a 'deterrent to others'

Congress leader PL Punia on Friday lauded the execution of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya rape-and-murder case. According to him, the hanging of the convicts is a "deterrent to others as well." 

Speaking to the news agency, ANI, the Congress leader said, "If you do something like this, then it's result will also be this. Not just Nibhaya's family, but the entire world is happy that Nirbhaya got justice and the convicts have been hanged. Although it took seven years, justice has been served."

Further speaking about the legal system in the country, PL Punia said, "There is much more need to improvise our legal system. Several other reforms can be brought to our legal system." 

Nirbhaya Convicts Hanged

Seven years and three months after, on March 20 the four convicts in the Delhi 2012 rape and murder case were hanged to death in Tihar jail. This was the first time that four men were executed together in Tihar Jail, South Asia's largest prison complex that houses more than 16,000 inmates.

Read: Nirbhaya rapists hanged: Four men executed together for the first time in Tihar's history

A guard of not less than 10 constable, warders, and two head constables, head warders or an equal number from the prison armed guard, were also present. Meanwhile, hundreds of people had gathered outside the Tihar central jail ahead of the execution on Friday morning to celebrate. 

Read: Nirbhaya Convicts' hanged: Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra calls it a 'logical conclusion'

The Nirbhaya Case

A 23-year-old paramedic student Nirbhaya was gang-raped inside a running bus by six persons on December 16, 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. The remaining four rapists were convicted and handed the death penalty 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. 

Read: 'It's a happy moment', says Ex-Delhi CP Neeraj Kumar on hanging of Nirbhaya's convicts

Read: Nirbhaya case: Kiran Bedi lauds Asha Devi, says she'll be remembered as unstoppable mother