Delhi gang-rape: Minor accused found guilty; gets three years in reform home

The Juvenile Justice Board on Saturday sentenced the lone minor accused in the Dec 16, 2012, gang rape here to a three-year stay in a special home. The boy, who was 17-and-half years old at the time of the incident, has turned 18.

The board, presided over by Principal Magistrate Geetanjali Goel, pronounced the verdict and acquitted him of some of the charges.

The incident occurred in Munirka in south Delhi when a 23-year-old woman physiotherapy intern was brutally gang raped in a bus that she and her male companion had boarded.

The victim had succumbed to injuries Dec 29, 2012 at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital, where she had been airlifted for specialised treatment.

The incident sparked protests across the country with some people demanding the execution of the accused and some calling for chemical castration.

Police in their charge sheet said the juvenile was the most brutal of all the accused.

A native of Uttar Pradesh, the minor had moved to Delhi at the age of 11 and was arrested after the incident from Anand Vihar in east Delhi.

Six people, including the juvenile, were arrested in the case. While accused Ram Singh, Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur faced trial in fast track court in Saket in south Delhi, the juvenile's case was heard by the board.

The case against Ram Singh was dropped after he was found dead, hanging in his cell in Tihar Jail.

The Supreme Court Aug 22 allowed the board to go ahead with pronouncing its verdict after accepting Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy's plea for a fresh interpretation of the term juvenile.

Swamy had moved the apex court saying that the "mental and intellectual maturity" of minor offenders be considered instead of the age limit of 18 years while fixing their culpability.

Timeline of Delhi gang rape case
A woman was brutally gang raped by six people Dec 16, 2012 night in a moving private bus which she and her male friend boarded in south Delhi. A juvenile accused was Saturday sentenced to three-year stay in a special home by the Juvenile Justice Board. Here is a timeline of major developments in the case:

* Dec 16, 2012: A 23-year-old physiotherapy student raped by six people, including a juvenile, inside a moving bus.

* Dec 17: Bus Driver Ram Singh and two other accused arrested.

* Dec 18: Protests over the incident, crowds clash with police in central Delhi. Fourth accused arrested.

* Dec 19: Two accused brought before a Delhi court. Accused Vinay tell court to "hang him".

* Dec 21: Fifth accused, who claims to be 17-and-a-half-years old, arrested from Anand Vihar in east Delhi.

* Accused Akshay Kumar Singh arrested from Bihar.

* Dec 22: Gang rape victim records statement before a sub-divisional magistrate.

* Dec 23: Fast track court set up by the Delhi High Court.

* Dec 24: The government announces setting up of a committee to suggest amendments in law for speedy trials and enhanced punishment for criminals in rape cases.

* Dec 27: The victim is airlifted to Singapore for treatment.

* Dec 29: She succumbs to her injuries at in Singapore hospital.

* Dec 30: Gang rape victim flown back to Delhi, cremated.

* Jan 3, 2013: A case of rape, murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence, and attempted murder filed against all the five accused in the case.

* Jan 7: Court orders in-camera trial.

* Jan 10: Five accused get lawyers for defence.

* Jan 28: Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) declares that one of the six accused is a minor.

* Feb 2: Fast track court paves the way for trial and charges five men for murder, gang rape and other offences.

* Feb 3: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013, passed by Lok Sabha March 19 and Rajya Sabha March 21.

* Feb 5: Trial begins in the case and court records statements of accused.

* March 11: Accused Ram Singh found hanging in his Tihar jail cell.

* May 17: Victim's mother appears as a prosecution witness before the trial court and says "give justice to my daughter".

* June 14: Juvenile accused turns 18 in custody. Age calculated according to school certificate.

* July 11: JJB in New Delhi defers verdict on minor accused to July 25.

* July 25: JJB defers verdict on minor accused till Aug 5.

* Aug 22: The Supreme Court allowed the juvenile board to go ahead with pronouncing its verdict after accepting BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea for a fresh interpretation of the term juvenile.

* Aug 31: Juvenile Justice Board sentences minor accused to a three-year stay in a special home.