RAPISTS HAVE RIGHTS TOO: SC

It was shocking, inhumane and brutal to think, when a sobbing mother of a young girl, who was gang- raped and mercilessly killed, was told that rapists have rights too (which means rape convicts can avail legal remedies again and again to buy time). This has been the case since 2012, when the infamous Delhi gang-rape and murder took place, which brought the whole country on the streets to ask for justice.

'We sympathise with you entirely. We know someone has died, but they (rape convicts) have rights too. We are here to listen to you, but are also bound by the law,' Patiala House court told Nirbhaya's mother on Wednesday. 'The court has given them (rape convicts) time to seek remedy. It's only looking at their rights, not ours. There is no guarantee that a judgment will be given on the next date of the hearing," said the sobbing mother outside the court. All this happened during the hearing of the plea filed by Nirbhaya's parents at Delhi court for the immediate execution of death penalty to all four convicts out of six, as one adult died during the course of the hearing, and a juvenile was sent to the correction home for three years.

Meanwhile, for the speedy disposal of POCSO cases, a special court was inaugurated at Coimbatore. Since the district has nearly 120 such cases pending and at present heard at the Mahila Court, the special court was inaugurated by Principal District Judge R Shaktivel, official sources said.