New Delhi: Following is the chronology of events in the Nirbhaya case – the sensational gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old girl, here December 16, 2012. The Supreme Court dismissed the curative petitions filed by two of the four death row convicts, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Kumar. With the dismissal, there is no other option left for convicts to stay their death sentences.
It should be stated here that Pawan Jallad from Meerut has been entrusted with the responsibility of hanging the four. The death row convicts will be hanged simultaneously.
Chronology of events
December 16, 2012: Paramedical student gangraped and brutally assaulted by six men in a private bus and thrown out of the moving vehicle along with her male friend. The victims admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.
December 17: Widespread protests erupts demanding stringent action against the accused.
Police identify the accused – bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh Kumar, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta.
December 18: Ram Singh and three others arrested.
December 20: Victim’s friend testifies.
December 21: Delinquent juvenile nabbed from Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi. Victim’s friend identifies Mukesh as one of the culprits. Police conduct raids in Haryana and Bihar to nab the sixth accused, Akshay Thakur.
December 21: Thakur arrested in Aurangabad district of Bihar and brought to Delhi. Victim records statement before the SDM in hospital.
December 23: Protesters defy prohibitory orders, take to the streets. Delhi Police Constable Subhash Tomar, on duty to control protests, rushed to hospital with serious injuries.
December 25: Girl’s condition declared critical. Constable Tomar succumbs to injuries.
December 26: Following a cardiac arrest, victim flown to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital by the government.
December 29: Victim succumbs to injuries and other medical conditions. Police add murder charge in the FIR.
January 2, 2013: Then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir inaugurates fast track court (FTC) for speedy trial in sexual offence cases.
January 3: Police file chargesheet against five adults accused of murder, gangrape, attempt to murder, kidnapping, unnatural offences and dacoity.
January 5: Court takes cognisance of the chargesheet.
January 7: Court orders in-camera proceedings.
January 17: FTC starts proceedings against the five adult accused.
January 28: Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) says minority of juvenile accused is proved.
February 2: FTC frames charges against five adult accused.
February 28: JJB frames charges against the minor.
March 11: Ram Singh commits suicide in Tihar Jail.
March 22: Delhi HC allows national media to report trial court’s proceedings.
July 5: Inquiry (trial) in JJB against the juvenile in concludes. JJB reserves verdict for July 11.
July 8: FTC completes recording of testimonies of prosecution witnesses.
July 11: JJB holds minor also guilty of illegally confining and robbing a carpenter December 16, night before allegedly taking part in the gangrape.
August 22: FTC begins hearing final arguments in trial against four adult accused.
August 31: JJB convicts the minor for gangrape and murder and awards three-year term at probation home.
September 3: FTC concludes trial. Reserves verdict.
September 10: Court convicts Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan of 13 offences including gangrape, unnatural offence and murder of the girl and attempt to murder her male friend.
September 13: Court awards death penalty to all 4 convicts.
September 23: HC begins hearing the convicts’ death sentence reference sent to it by the trial court.
January 3, 2014: HC reserves verdict on convicts’ appeals.
March 13: HC upholds death penalty to the 4 convicts.
March 15: SC stays execution of 2 convicts, Mukesh and Pawan, after they file appeals. Later, stays execution of other convicts also.
April 15: SC directs police to produce the dying declaration of the victim.
February 3, 2017: SC says it would hear afresh the aspect of awarding death penalty to the convicts.
March 27: SC reserves verdict on their appeals.
May 5: SC upholds death penalty to four convicts, says the case falls under the category of ‘rarest of rare’ and the offence created ‘tsunami of shock’.
November 8: Mukesh, one of the four death row convicts in the case, moves SC seeking review of its verdict upholding the capital punishment awarded to him.
December 12: Delhi Police opposes Mukesh’s plea in SC.
December 15: Convicts Vinay Sharma and Pawan Kumar Gupta move SC for review of its verdict.
May 4, 2018: SC reserves order on review plea by two condemned convicts – Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta.
July 9: SC dismisses review pleas of three convicts.
February, 2019: Victim’s parents move Delhi court for issuance of death warrants of the four convicts
December 10, 2019: Akshay moves plea in SC seeking review of his death penalty.
December 13: Victim’s mother moves SC opposing review plea of convict
December 18: SC dismisses Akshay’s review plea.
Delhi government seeks death warrants for execution of death sentence to the 4 convicts
Delhi court directs Tihar authorities to issue notice to convicts to avail their remaining legal remedies.
December 19: Delhi HC dismisses plea of Pawan Kumar Gupta claiming he was a juvenile at the time of the offence
January 6, 2020: Delhi court dismisses complaint filed by Pawan’s father seeking FIR against sole witness
January 7: Delhi court orders 4 convicts to be hanged on January 22 at 7.00am in Tihar jail.
January 14: SC rejects curative petition of two of the four death row convicts Vinay Sharma (26) and Mukesh Kumar (32).
Agencies