December 16, 2012. Nirbhaya gang rape case. This particular date will forever remain etched in the annals of Indian history. So will March 20, 2020. The latter because the remaining four convicts were hanged in the national capital's Tihar Jail.The December 16, 2012 incident had not only shaken the entire country's conscience but also united India who had come out on the streets demanding quick and prompt action against the perpetrators. After years of struggle and toil coupled with a number of hearings in respective fast-track courts, justice was finally served on Friday morning after 7 years when the court ordered the execution of the four accused. Despite the procedural delays, two people who never lost the trust in our judiciary were Nirbhaya's parents. Her mother Asha Devi and father Badrinath Singh stood like a rock despite all the hindrances in their battle for her daughter's justice.
Once the verdict was out, Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi hailed the execution saying it will restore the faith of women in law. Expressing satisfaction after the execution of the four rapists, Asha Devi, mother of 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim said, "Our daughter is no more & won't return.We started this fight after she left us, this struggle was for her but we will continue this fight in future for our daughters. I hugged my daughter's picture & said finally you got justice."
Nirbhaya's father Badrinath Singh thanked media, society and Delhi Police for their perseverence. "Today is our victory and it happened because of media, society & Delhi police. You can understand what is inside my heart by my smile", he said.
Nirbhaya's parents' relentless battle for her daughter's justice continued but it wasn't easy. She had to relive the horror every now and then. Their pursuit for justice had its own share of controversies with the most prominent one involving former Karnataka DGP and Ex-MLA HT Sangliana.
In March 2018, Sangliana had commented that Nirbhaya's mother had a 'good physique' and he couldn't imagine how beautiful Nirbhaya would have been, a report in the TOI said. The former DGP did clarify his comment was taken out of context but the damage had been done already. Nirbhaya's mother expressed her disappointment and shock over the mysogynistic comment. "It was a programme organised for women. Imagine someone telling this about your daughter who is no more. What did the ex-DGP mean by saying that", she said in an interview to mediapersons.
Nirbhaya's parents were invited to Bengaluru for an event by a women's rights group.
Everyone thought crimes against women would decrease but the numbers have continue to spiral upwards.
There were innumerous cases of rapes that continued to hog the limelight post Nirbhaya case. Despite the stringent rape laws, nothing acted as a deterrent to four accused in the gang-rape and murder of a veterinarian on the outskirts of Hyderabad in November 2019. These four accused were allegedly killed in an encounter when they were trying to flee from the police.
The 'encounter' drew mixed responses on social media. Nirbhaya's mother expressed her happiness after the four accused were killed but she continued to wait for her daughter's justice.
The Telangana encounter remedy continues to divide opinions but Nirbhaya's mother would've wanted a swifter justice for her own daughter albeit within the legal confines.
After her daughter's case was moved to fast-track courts, in September 2013, a fast track court had convicted Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan of 13 offences including gang rape, unnatural offence and murder of the woman and attempt to murder her male friend. Three days later, the same court awarded death penalty to all four convicts (the fifth one was a juvenile and he was sentenced for 3 years term at a probation home). The trial court then referred the case to Delhi High Court for confirmation of the death sentence.
In November 2013, Delhi HC upheld the death sentence and the case goes to the Supreme Court. The apex court then beging hearing the case in April 2016.
After daily hearings, mercy petition rejections, it was on January 7, 2020 that Nirbhaya's parents could see the light at the end of the tunnel in form of the court judgement to hang their daughter's rapists.
It will be difficult to gauge how Nirbhaya's parents might have felt in these seven cumbersome years en route the battle of justice for their daughter. They however never lost faith, especially in the Indian Judiciary that eventually delivered justice.
Nirbhaya's parents are an epitome of perseverance to all those who still believe in our judiciary.