Following the Supreme Court's verdict in the brutal Nirbhaya gang rape case, the nation is rejoicing over the fact that justice has finally been delivered.
However, there was a little suspicion in the minds of Nirbhaya's kith and kin before the verdict and one of her close relatives questioned as to what would happen if the apex court reversed the order of the high court.
He threatened to go on a hunger strike before the residence of President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the convicts were not hanged.
Badrianth, the victim's father was confident that the apex court would order the hanging of the convicts.
"I slept soundly last night. I was sure the court would not let me down. Now, I have only one wish left, I want to see them die," he said.
The otherwise sombre mood of the court was broken by spontaneous applause when Justice Dipak Misra pronounced the unanimous judgment of the three-judge bench.
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At the far end of the courtroom, the victim's parents, who diligently pursued the case since their daughter's death burst into tears of happiness.
As soon as Justice Deepak Mishra confirmed the death sentence people in the court room broke the pin drop silence with loud applause
Earlier in the day, the apex court upheld the high court's order of death sentence of the four convicts involved in the December 16, 2012 gang rape case.
The matter was heard by the apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and consisting of Justices R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan.
Justice Dipak Misra observed in its order that 'it's a story of some different world'.
"Taking the serious injuries, the severe nature of offence committed by the convicts, we are upholding the sentence," the order said.
The next option for the convicts is to appeal against their death sentence to President Pranab Mukherjee.
The convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh- had challenged the Delhi High Court order which had sentenced them to the gallows.
Earlier, the trial court had also sentenced all the four convicts to death penalty.
In December 16, 2012, six people gang raped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus. The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.
One of the accused, Ram Singh hanged himself in prison, while another person, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August last year and will serve the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home.