Nirbhaya gang rape case: Indian SC upholds death sentence

The Indian Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence for four men who had fatally gang raped a female student on a moving bus in Delhi in 2012.

Three of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case had petitioned India’s top court for their death sentences to be reduced to life in prison, reports Times of India.

 "There is no material to review our order," said three judges led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, on the review petitions of Mukesh, 29, Pawan Gupta, 22 and Vinay Sharma, 23.

Akshay Kumar Singh, 31, did not file a review petition.

The four were convicted of raping and assaulting the 23-year-old paramedical student on a moving bus in Delhi on Dec 16, 2012.

The victim died 16 days later in a Singapore hospital. She came to be known as ‘Nirbhaya’, meaning ‘fearless’.

A total of six men had attacked the victim and her boyfriend as they were on their way home after they watched a movie. They dumped her on the side of the road after the attack.

The brutality of the crime had led to nationwide street protests and changes in laws regarding sexual violence against women.

One of the accused, Ram Singh, committed suicide while in jail. The youngest of the accused was days short of his 18th birthday and was sent to a juvenile home, where he served a three-year term.

In their ruling, the Supreme Court judges had said they were upholding the death sentence after taking note of the serious injuries and the severe nature of the offence.

The crime shocked the nation's conscience, they said.