SC bowed down to public pressure: Defence lawyers

The Supreme Court has bowed to public pressure in confirming the death sentences awarded to the convicts of December 16, 2012 gang rape and murder case, their counsel said on Friday.

A petition seeking review of the judgment would be filed, as the top court has succumbed to public pressure and the demonstrations which were carried out in protest against the incident, advocate A P Singh, who was the defence counsel for two of the four convicts, said.

Advocate M L Sharma also said a review petition would be filed as he claimed that one of his clients, Mukesh Singh, who will face the gallows, was implicated in the case.

Moments after the judgment was pronounced, Singh, who appeared for convicts Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma, said he was waiting for the copy of the judgment and would decide the further course of action after reading the entire judgment but a review petition would surely be filed.

“Terrorists are getting relief from the judiciary. But we have full faith in the Supreme Court. All the four hail from poor background and I hope they will get justice. We will file the review petition after reading the judgement,” the counsel said.

Sharma, who also appeared for Mukesh Singh and Pawan Gupta, said without questioning the gruesome incident which claimed the life of the 23-year-old paramedic, it is a case where one of the accused has been implicated.

IMAGE: Delhi gang rape convicts Vinay and Pawan Gupta. Photograph: PTI Photo