Seven years back a ghastly crime took place in the capital city of Delhi. A girl and her companion who boarded a bus was criminally assaulted by four men and then thrown out of the bus. She was taken to hospital in a precarious condition and despite the best effort of the government in taking her to Singapore for treatment, the girl died. The accused were tried and awarded the death penalty. One of the accused hanged him in Tihar jail, unable to bear the tension, however, the others stuck it out exploring all avenues to escape the noose exasperating the Indian masses.
Even now a plea for clemency is pending. India Today has reported that observing the state of affairs international shooter Vartika Singh has written a letter in blood to Home Minister Amit Shah saying "Hanging of the Nirbhaya case convicts should be done by me. This will send a message throughout the country that a woman can also conduct execution."
Legal process
The legal process in India which is inherited from the British is slow and cumbersome. The result is that despite hundreds of rapes and many girls burnt or killed after these crimes no hangings have taken place. Only one person was hanged and that was way back in 2006.
The public is incensed and this is evident from the reaction after the latest mass violation of a young girl in Hyderabad in the state of Telangana.
The four criminals were taken to the same spot where they had committed the crime. The police claim that as the men attacked the police they were shot dead. The act of the police has pleased the public no end and girls have presented garlands to the police and many even tied the "rakhi" on the wrists of the policemen. This is a token of love for a brother from his sister.
Letter in blood
The prolonged trial and legal process in the Nirbhaya case has infuriated many. Delhi's Tihar jail does not even have a hangman and they are attempting to source one from other jails. It is part of this scenario that international shooter Vartika Singh has written her letter in blood to Amit Shah asking that she be allowed to hang the culprits.
The Supreme Court has a lot to answer for this state of affairs. The old dictum justice delayed is justice denied does not seem to matter to the highest and other courts in the land. In many cases the Supreme Court has been commuting death sentences to life in prison, negating the government's legislation wherein death was added as a punishment for heinous crimes against women. The IPC was amended many years back and the maximum punishment of seven years jail term was amended to death by hanging and life in prison.
Future
The convicts involved in this gruesome crime may be hanged but the process has taken too many years. The Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal has called for their immediate hanging but the Supreme Court has to play ball.
CNN has reported that one of the convicts has petitioned that he does not deserve to be hanged.
In the meantime, criminal assaults on young women are continuing. Many are killed after being assaulted. If the Supreme Court does not act expeditiously there is every chance incidents like the Hyderabad shooting by the police will increase. The government and the Supreme Court which is unable even to decide on entry of women into the Sabarimala temple should not take shelter behind legal provisions. They must ensure quick exemplary punishment so that a lesson is given to others.