NEW DELHI, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- India's top court Wednesday rejected the review plea of the fourth convict in 2012 Delhi gang-rape case and upheld its earlier decision of capital punishment for him, officials said.
"The Supreme Court today upheld the death penalty for the fourth convict Akshay Kumar Singh in 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder case," an official said. "A three-judge bench rejected the plea against the death sentence saying there is no ground to reconsider the verdict."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing on behalf of state said the convict does not deserve mercy.
"The convict doesn't deserve any leniency. God would feel ashamed of creating such a monster. There are certain crimes where 'humanity cries' and this case is one of them," Mehta said.
The victim's mother has welcomed top court's order.
"It is good and we have gone a step closer," she told media.
However, after the judgement, convict's lawyer A P Singh said there was tremendous public pressure to implicate his client.
The court had last year rejected the review pleas of three other convicts - Mukesh, Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma.
In 2012, a 23-year-old paramedic student was gang-raped on the night of Dec. 16 inside a moving bus in Delhi by six people and assaulted severely. She succumbed to her injuries during medical treatment after 13 days.
One of the accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide inside Tihar Jail during the trial. Another accused, a minor, was convicted by the Juvenile Justice Board. He was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term.
The fatal gang-rape brought spotlight on crimes against women in India.
The incident saw huge protests and resulted in new anti-rape laws in the country. However, brutal sexual attacks against women and girls continue to be reported across India day in and day out.
