Nirbhaya Gang Rape and Murder Case

Court: Fast Track Court, Saket → Delhi High Court → Supreme Court of India · Status: CLOSED · Type: State Police

On 16 December 2012, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was gang raped and fatally tortured on a bus in Delhi. All four adult convicts were executed on 20 March 2020 after seven years of legal proceedings spanning every court in India. The case triggered the most significant overhaul of India's rape laws since Independence.

Timeline

• 2012-12-16 Other: At approximately 9:15 PM, the victim and her male companion board a private bus near Munirka bus stand after watching a film at Select Citywalk, Saket. The bus, not on its authorised route, has its windows darkened. Five men and a juvenile are on board besides the driver. [source]
• 2012-12-16 Other: Over the next 45 minutes, the victim is gang raped and tortured with an iron rod. Her companion is beaten with the rod and an iron wheel jack. Both are thrown off the moving bus near Mahipalpur on NH-8 at approximately 10:00 PM. [source]
• 2012-12-16 Other: The victim's companion flags down vehicles for nearly 25 minutes before Delhi Police arrives. The victim is found lying on the road, unclothed. PCR call logs later showed the victim was first logged as a traffic case, not a medical emergency. [source]
• 2012-12-16 Fir Filed: FIR No. 413/2012 registered at Vasant Vihar Police Station under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 394 (robbery), and 395 (dacoity). The victim is admitted to Safdarjung Hospital in critical condition. [source]
• 2012-12-16 Other: At approximately 9:15 PM, the victim and her male companion board a private bus near Munirka bus stand after watching a film. The bus is not on its authorised route; its windows are darkened. Five men and a juvenile are on board. [source]
• 2012-12-16 Other: The victim is gang raped and tortured with an iron rod. Her companion is beaten and thrown from the moving bus near Mahipalpur, NH-8. Delhi Police initially log the call as a traffic case, not a medical emergency. [source]
• 2012-12-16 Fir Filed: FIR No. 413/2012 registered at Vasant Vihar Police Station under IPC 307, 376, 377, 394, 395. Victim admitted to Safdarjung Hospital in critical condition. Investigation transferred to Crime Branch within 48 hours. [source]
• 2012-12-17 Arrest: Ram Singh, the bus driver, is arrested. The bus is identified via CCTV footage from a petrol station on NH-8 and a charred route chit bearing bus number DL-1PC-0149. Delhi Police's Crime Branch takes over the investigation. [source]
• 2012-12-17 Arrest: Mukesh Singh and Akshay Kumar Singh are arrested. Vinay Kumar Sharma is arrested on 18 December. Pawan Kumar Gupta on 18 December. The juvenile is arrested on 18 December. [source]
• 2012-12-17 Arrest: Ram Singh (bus driver) arrested after bus traced via CCTV and a charred route chit. Mukesh Singh and Akshay Kumar Singh arrested same day. Vinay Kumar Sharma, Pawan Kumar Gupta, and the juvenile arrested on 18 December 2012. [source]
• 2012-12-22 Other: Nationwide protests intensify. Thousands gather at Raisina Hill and India Gate. Delhi Police deploy tear gas and water cannons. Section 144 (prohibitory orders) imposed in central Delhi. The government orders a media blackout on the India Gate area. [source]
• 2012-12-22 Other: Nationwide protests. Thousands gather at Raisina Hill and India Gate. Delhi Police deploy tear gas and water cannons. Section 144 imposed. Government orders media blackout on India Gate area. [source]
• 2012-12-29 Other: The victim is airlifted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore in critical condition. She had undergone five surgeries and was on life support. She dies at 4:45 AM on 29 December 2012 due to multi-organ failure. [source]
• 2012-12-29 Other: The victim is airlifted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore. She dies at 4:45 AM on 29 December 2012 from multi-organ failure following five surgeries. She was 23 years old. [source]
• 2013-01-03 Other: Government constitutes the Justice J.S. Verma Committee to recommend amendments to criminal law. The committee receives over 80,000 submissions from across the country and submits its report in 29 days. [source]
• 2013-01-03 Chargesheet: Delhi Police files chargesheet against all five adult accused under IPC 302 (murder), 376(2)(g) (gang rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 396 (dacoity with murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), and 120B (criminal conspiracy). Chargesheet against the juvenile filed separately before the Juvenile Justice Board. [source]
• 2013-01-03 Other: Government constitutes the Justice J.S. Verma Committee to recommend criminal law amendments. The committee receives over 80,000 public submissions and submits its report in 29 days. [source]
• 2013-01-03 Other: Government constitutes the Justice J.S. Verma Committee to recommend criminal law amendments. Over 80,000 public submissions received. Report submitted in 29 days. [source]
• 2013-01-03 Chargesheet: Delhi Police files chargesheet against all five adult accused under IPC 302, 376(2)(g), 377, 396, 201, and 120B. [source]
• 2013-02-02 Other: Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 promulgated by the President, incorporating key Verma Committee recommendations. Later enacted as the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013. [source]
• 2013-03-11 Other: Ram Singh, the alleged ringleader and bus driver, is found hanging in his cell in Tihar Jail. Jail authorities rule it suicide. His family and defence lawyer AP Singh allege murder. The trial against him is formally abated. [source]
• 2013-03-11 Other: Ram Singh found hanging in his Tihar Jail cell. Officially ruled suicide. Trial against him abated. [source]
• 2013-07-01 Other: Juvenile Justice Board finds the juvenile to be aged 17 years at the time of the crime. He is tried as a juvenile. He is convicted and sentenced to three years in a reform facility — the maximum under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. [source]
• 2013-09-13 Conviction: Fast Track Court Judge Yogesh Khanna convicts all four adult accused of murder, gang rape, unnatural offences, kidnapping, and destruction of evidence. The judgement runs to 227 pages. The court finds the prosecution's case proved beyond reasonable doubt based on DNA evidence, CCTV footage, witness testimony, and the victim's dying declaration. [source]
• 2013-09-13 Conviction: Fast Track Court Judge Yogesh Khanna convicts all four adult accused of murder, gang rape, unnatural offences, kidnapping, and destruction of evidence on DNA evidence, CCTV footage, witness testimony, and the victim's dying declaration. [source]
• 2013-09-16 Verdict: Judge Yogesh Khanna sentences all four convicts to death by hanging. He describes the crime as 'the most brutal, barbaric, and diabolical' he had encountered in his career. The rarest of rare doctrine is invoked. [source]
• 2013-09-16 Verdict: All four accused sentenced to death. Judge describes the crime as 'the most brutal, barbaric, and diabolical' in his career. Rarest-of-rare doctrine invoked. [source]
• 2013-10-01 Appeal Filed: All four convicts file appeals against conviction and death sentence before the Delhi High Court. The state also files an appeal against acquittal on certain charges. [source]
• 2014-03-13 Order: Delhi High Court Division Bench (Justice Reva Khetrapal and Justice Pratibha Rani) upholds the conviction and death sentence for all four accused. The bench finds no mitigating circumstances to commute the sentence. [source]
• 2014-03-13 Order: Delhi High Court upholds conviction and death sentence for all four accused. No mitigating circumstances found. [source]

Accused means charged, not convicted. We report what courts state. Every claim is sourced.