On Friday, The Supreme Court upheld High Court decision and confirmed death penalty to all four convicts in the December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder.
It took almost four years, multiple protests and numerous court proceedings and trials before the apex court could reach this decision.
Here is a brief timeline of the case that shook the entire country:
- December 16, 2012: Almost four years ago, a paramedical student was brutally gangraped by six men on a moving bus in the national capital. The case attracted a lot of media attention for the sheer violence inflicted on her
- January 2, 2013: CJI Altamas Kabir inaugurates fast-track court (FTC) for speedy trial in the case
- January 3, 2013: Police files chargesheet against five adult accused of offences including murder, gang-rape, attempt to murder etc.
- March 11, 2013: In a sensational twist in the gang rape-cum-murder case, the main accused Ram Singh committed suicide in a high-security cell in Tihar Jail
- August 31, 2013: The Juvenile Justice Board sentenced the lone minor accused in the Dec 16, 2012, gang rape to a three-year stay in a special home.
- September 13, 2013: Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna sentences the four remaining accused to death
- March 13, 2014: Delhi High Court Bench of Justices Reva Khetrapal and Pratibha Rani upholds the trial Court verdict.
- March 15, 2014: After allegations of a denial of fair trial, Supreme Court stays execution of the accused
- December 18, 2015: The Delhi High Court refuses to stay the release of the juvenile convict in the after completion of his 3-year jail term.
- April 3, 2016: Nirbhaya hearings begin in the Supreme Court, after 19 months of being in cold storage. Justices Dipak Misra, V Gopala Gowda and Kurian Joseph to hear the case.
- April 8, 2016: Senior Advocates Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay Hegde appointed as Amicus Curiae.
- August 29, 2016: High drama in courtroom as allegations of police tampering with evidence are made; M L Sharma breaks down.
- September 2, 2016: Advocate M L Sharma concludes his submissions.
- September 16, 2016: Former DCP (Delhi) Chaya Sharma, who was transferred to Mizoram post the Delhi gang rape case attends the hearing
- November 7, 2016: Senior Advocate and Amicus Curae Raju Ramachandran makes his submissions in Court, argues for the sentencing order to be set aside.
- November 28, 2016: Senior Advocate and Amicus Curae Sanjay Hegde argues against reliability of evidence in the case.
- February 3, 3017: Supreme Court decides to re-hear the case on the sentencing aspect, after the petitioners contend that there have been violations in procedure.
- March 6, 2017: All the accused submit additional affidavits to the Court.
- March 27, 2017: Supreme Court reserves verdict after nearly a year of hearing the case and says it continue hearing the plea filed by gang rape convicts, challenging the Delhi High Court’s order.
- May 5, 2017: The Supreme Court pronounces judgement in the case, upholding the death sentence of all four convicts.