Nirbhaya’s parents, others detained for protesting at India Gate

The juvenile convict in the December 16 gang-rape case was on Sunday released and sent to an NGO in Delhi said a source.

The protest started at around 5 pm and within half-an-hour, a large number of protesters, comprising mostly students and activists gathered at a stretch on Rajpath, blocking the road.

Soon, several police teams, including women officials, were deployed to disperse the protesters, who were shouting slogans against the Central and Delhi governments.

Asha Devi, the mother of the paramedic student who was gang-raped in a moving bus, had to be convinced and put inside a bus along with her husband, Badri Singh Pandey, and other protesters.

“How many more rapes, how many more murders will have to take place for the government to change laws related to juveniles. I want (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji to consider giving us two minutes (for a meeting)” said Asha Devi.

Referring to the release of the juvenile, she said: “The person who should have been put behind bars has been allowed to walk out free, while we, who have suffered, are being chased by police.

First we were stopped at Jantar Mantar, and then we managed to reach here (India Gate).

“I will not get inside the bus today,” she kept saying, as she was being escorted by women police officials.

Pandey, the victim’s father, said that the police action was not justified and that their three-year-long battle for justice has gone in vain.

“We requested them (the protesters) not to assemble at the high-security area and when they refused, they were detained under Section 144 CrPC,” said a senior police officer.

The release became possible notwithstanding the Delhi Commission for Women’s late night effort to stall it as the Supreme Court post-midnight held a sitting and refused to stay the release. In its order, the Supreme Court declined to stop the release of the juvenile offender and posted the matter for hearing on Monday.

The parents, along with around 40 protesters, were also detained on Saturday, after they staged a demonstration near the correction facility in North Delhi, where the juvenile convict was lodged.

They were released in a while. The police, however, maintained that they had only removed the parents for their safety and escorted them back to their residence.