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NEW DELHI : The Apex Court has confirmed the death sentence for four rapists in the Nirbhaya rape case, which had shocked the nation on 16th December 2012. The four convicts – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh – had appealed in the Supreme Court after the High Court against the verdict of death sentence. Today, the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra pronounced the verdict.
Timeline of the Nirbhaya gang-rape case in which the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentences of the four convicts.
December 16, 2012: A 23-year-old paramedic student and her boyfriend take a private bus home after watching English film “Life of Pi” at the Select City Walk Mall in Saket. The woman was brutally raped and beaten up by six men in the moving bus and thrown out of it near Mahipalpur along with her male friend. They were admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital the same night.
December 17: Delhi Police identify four men who raped and assaulted her — bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta. Doctors say the woman has suffered grave internal injuries.
December 18: Ram Singh and three others are arrested. People come out on the streets to protest the gang-rape.
December 19: The woman undergoes a fifth surgery, with doctors removing most of her intestines.
December 21: The accused juvenile is nabbed from Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi. The government appoints a panel of physicians to ensure she receives best medical care. The woman’s friend identifies Mukesh as one of the culprits. Police conduct raids in Haryana and Bihar to nab sixth accused, Akshay Thakur.
December 22: Akshay Thakur is arrested in Bihar and brought to Delhi. Victim records her statement before the SDM in hospital.
December 25: The woman’s condition deteriorates
December 26: She is flown to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital for advanced treatment
December 29: The woman dies in Singapore due to organ failure
January 2, 2013: The then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir incepted fast track court for speedy trial in sexual offence cases
January 3: Police files charge-sheet against five adult accused for offences including murder, gangrape, attempt to murder, kidnapping, unnatural offences and dacoity
January 17: Fast track court starts proceedings against five adult accused
January 28: Juvenile Justice Board rules that sixth accused is a minor
February 2: Five adult accused are charged with 13 offences including murder
February 28: Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) frames rape, murder charges against the juvenile accused
March 11: Ram Singh, the bus driver, is found hanging in his cell in Tihar jail
March 21: Government approves new tougher anti-rape law to punish sex crimes, including death for repeat rape offenders
July 5: Trial against juvenile concludes, the JJB reserves verdict for July 11
July 11: The JJB holds the minor guilty of illegally confining and robbing a carpenter on December 16 night before the gangrape. It defers to July 25 its verdict in the gang-rape case.
July 25: JJB defers to August 5 its verdict after a PIL is filed in the Supreme Court seeking fresh interpretation of the term “juvenile”.
August 19: JJB again defers verdict to
August 22: Supreme Court allows JJB to pronounce verdict in gangrape case
August 31: JJB convicts the juvenile for gangrape and murder and awards three years term at a probation home
August 22: Fast track court begins hearing of final arguments in trial against the four adult accused.
September 10: Court convicts Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan of 13 offences including gangrape, unnatural offence and murder of the woman and attempt to murder her male friend
September 13: Fast track court awards death to all four convicts. Trial court refers the case to Delhi High Court for confirmation of death sentence
November 1: The Delhi High Court starts hearing the case on a daily basis
January 3, 2014: The Delhi High Court reserves its verdict on confirming the death sentence and appeals of the four convicts.
March 13: The Delhi High Court upholds the death sentences awarded to the four convicts
June 2: Two death row convicts move the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court verdict
July 14: The Supreme Court stays till further orders execution of death penalty of two of four convicts — Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur
December 18, 2015: Delhi High Court refuses to stay the release of the juvenile. He walks out of a correction home after spending three years.
April 3, 2016: Supreme Court begins hearing in the case
July 11: Hearing begins with a change in Bench to Justices Dipak Misra, R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan
August 2016: Vinay Sharma tries to commit suicide in Tihar Jail
January 6, 2017: Supreme Court seeks mitigating circumstances from the accused
March 27: Supreme Court reserves verdict after nearly a year of hearing the case
May 5: SC upholds death penalty of four accused – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh
(With Inputs from IANS)
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