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Supreme Court reaffirms death to four Nirbahaya convicts (Roundup)
New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday rejected review petitions filed by three of the four convicts and upheld the death punishment in the horrific 2012 gang rape and murder of a young Delhi professional who came to be known as Nirbhaya.
Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice R. Banumathi and Justice Ashok Bhushan said the petitions lacked grounds for a review.
Convicts Mukesh, 29, Pawan Gupta, 22, and Vinay Sharma, 23, had sought recall of the Supreme Court’s May 5, 2017 verdict upholding the death sentence awarded by a trial court and confirmed by the Delhi High Court. The fourth, Akshay Kumar Singh, 31, had not filed for a review.
Pronouncing the judgement, Justice Bhushan said the review petition must show an error resulting in miscarriage of justice. He said none of the petitions by the convicts pointed out to an error leading to miscarriage of justice.
The court also said the hearing on the appeals against the Delhi High Court judgement confirming the death sentence lasted 38 days as defence lawyers were given full opportunity to state their cases.
“Review applications cannot be entertained. (A) convict cannot be allowed to re-agitate the grounds of appeal. There has to be an apparent error on record to show it resulted in miscarriage of justice.
“The death row convicts failed to point out error in the judgement. (The) convicts were heard elaborately during appeals and no grounds have been made out for review of its verdict,” Justice Bhushan said.
The victim’s mother Asha Devi said she hoped the convicts would be executed soon.
“There is more fight ahead, but we have got justice once again. We hope that the legal formalities are taken care of and the culprits are taken to the gallows as soon as possible.”
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi said she was “satisfied” with the Supreme Court verdict in the case that led to the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code to make rape punishable with death penalty.
The convicts, who lived in Delhi, are now left with another legal option, seeking a relook at death sentences through a curative petition.
Curative petitions are filed to challenge the death penalty on the grounds that an evidence or a legal point was not argued, violating principles of natural justice.
If curative petition is also dismissed, then a mercy petition can be filed before the President of India who takes takes a call on the basis of the opinion given by the central government.
The December 16, 2012 gangrape and murder of the 23-year-old paramedic student, Nirbhaya, the name given to her by the media which means fearless, caused global shock and outrage.
The crime was committed inside a moving bus in south Delhi by six drunk people. Nirbhaya and her male friend, who survived the attack, had just finished watching a movie.
The woman was thrown out on the road, severely injured. She succumbed to her injuries on December 29, 2012 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
One of the accused in the case, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar jail. A juvenile among the culprits was convicted by a juvenile justice board. He was released after serving a three-year term in a reformation centre.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.