Nirbhaya Case: Parents Unhappy About Offering Juvenile Money

Jyoti’s father said giving the convict money and a sewing machine is like giving people the licence to commit crimes.

Jyoti’s father. (Photo: The Quint)

On the third anniversary of the brutal rape of Jyoti Singh, dubbed Nirbhaya by the Indian media, her parents say that they feel no sense of closure. The juvenile convict is set to walk free by 20 December and the Delhi government’s department of Women and Child Development is planning to give the juvenile a one-time financial grant of Rs 10,000 and a sewing machine to enable him to pursue tailoring as a means of supporting himself.

The boy’s release has been a matter of debate and the government is not terribly keen to set him free. In fact, the Intelligence Bureau reported that the convict had allegedly been radicalised inside the correction home.

Jyoti’s parents are devastated. “We have failed. Now there is no hope for justice,” they said. “With each passing day her memories get more intense. But we are not even able to face the memories as we have failed to secure justice for her. And now there is no hope for justice!” Jyoti’s 50-year-old father said. Giving the convict money and a sewing machine is like giving people the licence to commit crimes, he added, addressing a press conference. “Hum chahte hain usey (juvenile convict) saza miley, jaise chaaro (2012 convicts) ko mili hai waise.”

The Centre had asked the Delhi High Court to extend the observation home stay of the convict.

The victim, on 16 December 2012, was brutally assaulted by six persons, including the juvenile, in a moving bus in south Delhi. She had later succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital plunging the country into grief. Today, her parents, in collaboration with women’s and citizens groups, will mark the day as Nirbhaya Chetna Divas at Jantar Mantar.