A Delhi court on Tuesday delivered the much-awaited verdict in the horrific gangrape-murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student inside a moving bus in December last year, that shook the entire country, prompting large-scale protests and outrage across India.
All four accused were found guilty on 13 counts under various sections of the law. The quantum of punishment is expected to be announced on Wednesday after arguments are heard from both the prosecution and defence lawyers.
Besides rape and murder, the four accused — Mukesh, 26; Vinay Sharma, 20; Pawan Gupta, 19, and Akshay Singh Thakur, 28 — were found guilty of attempt to murder, unnatural offences, dacoity, destruction of evidence, conspiracy, kidnapping or abducting in order to murder, while acquitting them of the charge of murder in dacoity.
In addition, additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna, presiding over the special fast-track court at the Saket district courts where the case was being tried, also convicted the four of kidnapping or abducting with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine a person, abducting to subject a person to grievous hurt and slavery, abducting a woman to cause her defilement, voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery and dishonestly receiving property stolen in the commission of a dacoity.
The fifth accused, Ram Singh, 34, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail in March; while the sixth, a juvenile, has already been convicted in the case.
The horrific crime that led to spontaneous protests forced the government to introduce a slew of changes in anti-rape laws.