“I will achieve job satisfaction and consider my work done when the convicts in the Nirbhaya case are hanged,” said Inspector Pratibha Sharma, investigating officer in the brutal December 16, 2012, gang-rape case.
Ms. Sharma, who is now posted in south Delhi, recalls how she worked tirelessly to give Nirbhaya justice.
‘A demonic act’
“In my whole career, I have never seen such a demonic act done to any victim. The accused deserve to be hanged at the earliest. When the accused were being interrogated, they showed no signs of remorse,” she said.
“I still remember the face of Nirbhaya’s mother when the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for all the accused. I was coming out of the court and she was at the door... she thanked me. I felt very satisfied that day,” Ms. Sharma said. The inspector has investigated over 1,000 cases, a majority of them crimes against women.
‘Need to educate children’
“Laws are already very strict in terms of crimes against women. We also need to educate our children to respect women and how to behave in society. Easy access to pornography is damaging an entire generation,” she added.
Remembering her last interaction with two of the accused in Tihar jail, the officer said that they fell on her feet and pleaded to be forgiven.
When she was interrogating the juvenile involved in the case, the minor claimed he was eight when he left his house and came to Delhi.
“He worked at several dhabas, and during the period he was sexually assaulted. He held a grudge about this... when Nirbhaya was raped and assaulted, he enjoyed her pain,” she said.
“When I was handing the case, I stayed in the police station for four days. My daughter used to call me every few days and ask about Nirbhaya’s condition. The incident has had a severe impact on the lives of the officers who were part of the probe,” said Ms. Sharma.
