DCW urges Prez, CJI to prevent his release
AMN /
Delhi High court today refused to stay the release of juvenile convict in the December 16th Delhi gangrape and murder case saying he cannot be stopped from walking free under the existing provisions of law.
Brushing aside the public outcry against his release, a High Court bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath directed the Juvenile Justice Board to interact with the convict, his parents and concerned officials of Department of Women and Child Development regarding his “rehabilitation and social mainstreaming”.
The bench said BJP leader Subramanian Swamy’s plea seeking stay on the release of juvenile convict cannot be allowed as the statutory and existing law was coming in its way.
The convict is now all set to walk free on Sunday after spending three years in a remand home. Six persons, including the juvenile, had brutally assaulted and raped a 23-year-old girl in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16, 2012. The victim had died in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012. The incident had sparked widespread condemnation from all quarters and propelled thousands of people to come out on the streets.
The distraught family of Dec 16 gangrape victim has rued the Delhi High Court’s refusal to stay the release of the juvenile, saying “Crime has won and we have lost (Jurm jeet gaya, hum haar gaye)”. Asha Devi, mother of the victim, said, despite all our efforts, the criminal will walk free. She said their three-year-old battle for justice has gone in vain. The victim’s father also expressed disappointment over the order and said it should have had a deterrent effect.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women Swati Maliwal has urged President Pranab Mukherjee and Chief Justice of India to stop release of juvenile convict in the December 16 gangrape case. In a letter to them, she said the convict’s mental state needs to be assessed.
She added that the juvenile should not be freed in larger public interest. she said she has also written to Chief Justice Delhi High Court and Chairman of Juvenile Justice Board to take cognizance of the matter and stop his release untill a mental health assessment is done.
Reacting to amendment in Juvenile Act, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi blamed Rajya Sabha for not passing the Bill to amend the Juvenile Justice Act which seeks stringent punishment for children aged between 16-18 involved in heinous crimes.
Reacting to it, Union Minister Uma Bharti said that she is concerned over the proposed release of juvenile as he may be a threat to the society.
Three days back, the National Human Rights Commission had issued summons to the Delhi Chief Secretary, Delhi Police Commissioner and Union Home Secretary in connection with the impending release of the juvenile and asked reports within two weeks. Allegedly the most brutal of all the six offenders, the juvenile convict is likely to walk free on Sunday after his three-year sentence at a correction home gets over.