The Supreme Court on Monday began hearing the >appeals filed by four condemned convicts in the December 16 gang rape and murder case.
A tri-judge bench of Justices Dipak Misra, V. Gopala Gowda and Kurian Joseph heard advocate M.L. Sharma, counsel for convicts Mukesh and Pawan, who contended that the Delhi High Court committed an error in confirming the trial court judgment sentencing them to death.
Besides the duo, the other two convicts, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh, had also approached the apex court against the Delhi High Court’s March 13, 2014 verdict.
The victim, a 23-year-old paramedic, was brutally assaulted and gang raped by six persons in a moving bus in South Delhi and thrown out of the vehicle with her male friend on the night of December 16, 2012.
She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29.
The prime accused, Ram Singh, was found dead in a cell in Tihar Jail in March 2013 and proceedings against him were abated. On August 31, 2013, another accused, a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted and sentenced to three years in a reformation home. He was released from observation home in December last year.
Testimony questioned
During the arguments, Sharma questioned the testimony of the victim and said as per the charge sheet, the victim was critically injured. She could not have recorded her statement before the magistrate, or give a dying declaration.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra appearing for Delhi government said immediately after the incident, the victim was admitted at Safdurjung Hospital where fair amount of treatment was given to her.
Her autopsy report was released by the Singapore hospital where she died during treatment.
(With inputs from PTI)
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