Twitter and Facebook have been abuzz with activity after the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for the four accused in the December 2012 gang-rape case.
Among those who welcomed the verdict were actors Priyanka Chopra, Rishi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Taapsee Pannu, Ranvir Shorey, Siddharth, and cricketer Ravindra Jadeja and Geeta Phogat.
‘Still a concern’
One of the strongest reactions that has now gone viral came from Ms. Chopra, who took to Facebook on Friday night. “Yes, it has taken five long years, but today justice finally prevailed. The flame of this verdict should singe not just the dastardly four (of the other two, one is dead and one accused is a juvenile) but other such perpetrators in India as well,” she wrote.
Highlighting how women’s safety remains an area of concern, Ms. Chopra added: “The brutality of such crimes is something I refuse to accept! That we, as a modern 21st century society, allow such heinous things to happen to our women never ceases to trouble me. Unfortunately, the past can never be undone. So, we move on and make a promise to ourselves. That when an entire country is unified in wanting something, action is taken. This awakening... is what we must never let go onto mute mode.”
Yesteryear actor Rishi Kapoor, who is known to be quite vocal on Twitter, was not far behind. “Nirbhaya verdict. Justice prevails. Being in a civil society, in this case, “Public Hanging” was needed to set an example for an everyday menace,” Mr. Kapoor tweeted.
Among the stars from the younger generation who reacted to the verdict was Varun Dhawan. “Even hanging the 4 criminals is not enough justice but it should serve as a reminder that how india deals with this crime #Nirbhayaverdict,” Mr. Dhawan said on Twitter.
How strongly the case found a connect with the country was evident in a tweet by Taapsee Pannu, who acted in the movie Pink that examined how society labels women as ‘loose’, besides delivering the message of “A no means no”.
“At last, justice delayed is not always justice denied! Wish there was a more cruel way to make em feel the pain they evoked #Nirbhayaverdict,” Ms. Pannu said on the microblogging site.
Appeal to govt
Actor Siddharth used the social media to make an appeal to the government.
“I hope the government plays the verdict of #DeathToRapists in cinemas before a film starts. Will be more patriotic than the national anthem,” he tweeted.
Among sports persons, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja turned the focus towards the juvenile accused, who is is now an adult. “#Nirbhaya Mukesh, Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Granted Death Penalty In #Nirbhaya Case. Juvenile Just Got Lucky To Escape Away. #NirbhayaVerdict,” Mr. Jadeja tweeted.
Wrestler Geeta Phogat, meanwhile, thanked the judiciary. “Justice finally served. #Nirbhaya rapists to be hanged. Thank You Indian Judiciary System,” Ms. Phogat said in a tweet on Friday.
