The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death penalty given to the rapists in Nirbhaya case.

‘It is a barbaric incident’, Supreme Court said in its order.

The case sent a “tsunami of shock” all over, the apex court said, adding that the convicts treated the victim as an object of enjoyment, with the single purpose of ravishing her.

A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, through a unanimous verdict, upheld the Delhi High Court judgement which had concurred with the trial court decision.

Those who will face the gallows are Mukesh (29), Pawan (22), Vinay Sharma (23) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31).

One of the accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail, while a convicted juvenile was sentenced three years of punishment in a reform home.

The apex court said that ‘taking the serious injuries, the severe nature of offence committed by the convicts, we are upholding the sentence.’

The minor convict has already been released after serving his jail sentence. Another convict Ram Singh had committed suicide in Tihar Jail.

Justice Bhanumati said that there should be systematic education of children of to ensure how they will give respect to women. He quoted Swami Vivekanand on how tradition should enrich society with knowledge and understanding to ensure justice for women.

Nirbhaya, a Delhi student was brutally gangraped in a running bus on 16 December 2012 and brutally attacked. She was later airlifted to Singapore for treatment but didn’t survive.

The convicts’ lawyer, AP Singh, termed the judgement as mockery of human riights adding that he will file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

He said, “Samaaj mein message dene ke liye kisi ko phansi nahi de sakte, human rights ki dhajiyaan udd gayi. Justice not done. We will file review petition after reading the order.”

Nirbhaya’s father told the ANI, “It’s a victory for my family. I am very happy with the judgement.”

Union Minister for women and child development, Maneka Gandhi said, “I am happy that the verdict has been upheld though I wish it had come sooner: Maneka Gandhi.”

The CPI-M’s Brinda Karat too justified the death penalty but questioned the double-standard of the Indian judiciary, which had refused to give death penalty to the convicts of Bilkis Bano gangrape case.

She said, “In principle I am against death penalty, but this was such a heinous crime that strictest punishment was needed. Selective nature of the judicial process of our country is why I am against death penalty. What happened in Bilkis Bano case?”