SC should issue guidelines to ensure speedy justice to rape victims says Nirbhaya's mother

Delhi gang-rape victim Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi on Thursday said that the Supreme Court should issue guidelines for ensuring fast-track justice to rape victims.

"As the execution date of my daughter's rapists was postponed, again and again, people began losing trust in our judicial system," Asha Devi said.

She said if SC issues guidelines to try rape cases, it would help families of victims get timely justice, and reinforce their faith in the judicial system. 

READ | Supreme Court To Hear Centre's Plea On Separate Execution Of Nirbhaya Convicts On March 23

'Advocate AP Singh misleading people'

As advocate AP Singh is seeking more time from the SC, claiming that another mercy petition of convict Akshay Singh Thakur is pending before the President, Asha Devi said, the former is misleading people to gain sympathy.

"Advocate AP Singh has nothing to say in the court, hence, he speaks nonsense outside the court. He is trying to mislead people to gain sympathy," said Nirbhaya's mother.

Earlier in the day, a Delhi court rescheduled the hanging of the four rapists in the Nirbhaya case for March 20 at 5:30 am. This is the fourth death warrant issued for the execution of the convicts.

As of now, President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected the mercy petitions of all the convicts in the Nirbhaya case.

READ | Nirbhaya Rape Case: Fourth Death Warrant Issued, Convicts To Be Hanged On March 20

'I hope this date is the final one'

Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi said that she hopes that the date issued by Delhi's Patiala House Court is the final one and the convicts will be hanged on the given date.

She said, "Death warrant has been issued as they ran out of legal remedies. The mercy petition of all four of them was rejected. Finally, today, the fourth death warrant was issued. I hope this date is the final one and they should be hanged on the same date and justice be given to Nirbhaya"

READ | 'Hope This Date Is The Final One': Nirbhaya's Mother On March 20 Death Warrant For Rapists

Speaking about the delay tactics by the convict's lawyer AP Singh, she said, "Their effort is to make sure that death warrant is not issued and delay the date of hanging. Everything has an end. Until and unless they are hanged, we are prepared to fight at any moment. I will consider that I have won on the day they are hanged."

The case pertains to the brutal gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya' (fearless), in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. Nirbhaya had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.

READ | Nirbhaya Case Convicts' Lawyer Plays Victim, Makes Funding Claim & Says Rapists Are Tired