“My mother started crying as soon as the verdict was announced,” the brother of the victim of Delhi gangrape said.
The family of the 23-year-old physiotherapy student who was brutally gangraped in a moving bus in New Delhi on December 16, 2012, and later succumbed to her injuries is highly upset over the Juvenile Justice Board’s verdict on the juvenile, who allegedly was the “most brutal” of all the six who raped and left the victim to die on the road.
Fuming with anger the brother spoke of “avenging” his sister’s murder on a television channel.
The victim’s grief stricken family had demanded capital punishment for all the accused in the case — nothing less.
“At this juncture we have no option but to go on appeal against the verdict. But I cannot forget my sister’s death,” he blurted out.
Adhering to the law of the land, the JJB sentenced the juvenile for three years of which the time he spent in custody would be deducted.
The sentencing is also subject to review, which means if the accused maintains a “good behaviour and shows signs of reforming”, he could be released earlier.
“He cannot reform. He has no guilt, no shame and not scared,” the brother maintained.
The family of the victim — her father, mother and brother — had come to hear the verdict.
Immediately after the verdict was pronounced, the victim’s mother broke down.
“He’s only been given three years,” she could not say more.
Earlier, ahead of the judgment, she had said that the family was “not bothered” about the status of the accused.
“All we want is justice,” she said. “The four adult accused are expected to get death sentence, the juvenile too should be hanged,” the grief stricken mother said.
The mother said that on Saturday as he came here to hear the verdict, she was reminded “of the morning of December 17 when we heard of the crime committed with our daughter.”
She went on: “Earlier we prayed for our daughter’s life, now we are praying before Juvenile Justice Board to give this accused maximum sentence.”