The brutal 2012 gang rape of a Delhi student galvanised protests against rampant sex crimes in India (Noah SEELAM)
<p>New Delhi (AFP) – The executions of four men over the notorious 2012 gang-rape and murder of a student in India’s capital inched closer Wednesday after the top court rejected a death sentence review petition by one of those convicted.</p><p>The four men attacked a 23-year-old woman on a bus in Delhi as she returned from the cinema in December 2012 in a case that sparked outrage and horror in India and across the world.</p><p>The student died two weeks later from extensive internal injuries amid nationwide protests by tens of thousands of Indians who took to the streets to call for justice.</p><p>On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled there were no grounds to hear a review petition by Akshay Kumar Singh, the last of the four to bring such a plea.</p><p>Their options now to avoid the gallows include filing a  final petition to the Supreme Court and appealing for mercy to the Indian president.</p><p>Six people were originally held but one of them died in prison, allegedly by suicide, while a sixth, a minor at the time of the attack, was released in 2015.</p><p>Indian media reports in recent days have said that Tihar jail in Delhi, where the men are held, recently held a dummy execution.</p><p>The victim’s family welcomed the court’s latest decision.</p><p>"We are happy that the execution is now one step closer," her mother told reporters.</p><p>The fact the physiotherapy student survived long enough to help police identify her attackers made her a symbol of India’s struggle against widespread sexual violence.</p><p>Her case led to a major overhaul of laws surrounding sexual assault.</p><p>Singh’s unusual plea argued that there was no need to hand him the death sentence as New Delhi’s air and water pollution were already killing him.</p><p>His lawyer, A.P. Singh, said the review plea was rejected because of pressure from the public.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.