Ex-CJI Balakrishnan avoids commenting on giving capital punishment to gang-rape accused

January 4, 2013 | National News | Written by

New Delhi, Jan 4: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson Justice K.G. Balakrishnan on Friday refused to comment on whether those accused of the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in a moving bus in South Delhi should be given capital punishment, saying it would not be fair to comment on the matter for the chargesheet has been submitted.

“The matter is already chargesheeted. The chargesheet has been submitted. It is not fair on my part to make any comment because it is already in the court,” said Justice Balakrishnan, when asked that the protestors and some activists are demanding death sentence for the accused.

The former Chief Justice of India (CJI) further said the NHRC is organising a conference on Jan ary 8 to discuss with various stakeholders, the existing laws for taking action against violators of women’s dignity and explore the possibilities of making these more stringent.

“We are organising a seminar. Let us see what the people would say,” he said.

Suggestions emerging out of the discussions in the NHRC meeting will be sent to the government.

Recently, in the Statutory Full Commission meeting organized by the NHRC the issue of having a separate chapter in the Indian Penal Code on violence against women was discussed.

Delhi Police earlier on Thursday filed its chargesheet in the Saket metropolitan magistrate court against five men arrested in the case, slapping on them murder, rape, kidnapping and other charges.

The five accused, Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh and their accomplices Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur have been chargesheeted for the offences of murder, gang rape, attempt to murder, kidnapping, unnatural offences, dacoity, hurting in committing robbery, destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy and common intention under the Indian Penal Code.

The sixth accused is a juvenile and proceedings against him will be conducted by the Juvenile Justice Board.

National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Mamta Sharma yesterday said the court should listen to the demand of the parents of the victim that the lone juvenile among the six accused should not be let off lightly because of his age.

Sharma said the juvenile has committed a serious offence.

“But he (the girl’s father) is correct in his demand for he has lost his loved one. The court will decide on whether he should be given the punishment as per a juvenile or in accordance with some other laws. Since the accused was of such an age that he was involved in the heinous crime, then in believe that the court should listen to the demand of the victim’s parents,” she added.

The victim’s father has demanded that the juvenile should be hanged like the other five accused.

The victim, a paramedical student, was brutally raped and assaulted in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012. She died of her injuries on December 29, 2012 in the multi-specialty Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

Her male friend, who was accompanying her that day, was also assaulted by the accused and both of them were thrown out of the bus. (ANI)