Nirbhaya Gangrape Convicts’ Death Sentence Confirmed By Supreme Court 

NEW DELHI: Four years after the gang-rape and murder of 23-year-old Nirbhaya, the death sentence handed down to four of the culprits by Delhi High Court has been confirmed by Supreme Court of India on Friday.

The most disturbing incident of the decade had shocked and enraged India and made international headlines -- the decision on fate of the five men found guilty of assaulting her is pending with the Supreme Court. The 23-year-old paramedical student, dubbed Nirbhaya, was gang-raped and brutally tortured in a bus while returning with a friend after watching a movie in posh South Delhi. She had died 13 days later, on December 29, 2012 at a hospital in Singapore.

Of the six men arrested in the case, one was a juvenile. Another, Ram Singh, who was driving the bus, was found hanging in jail in March 2013. His lawyers had alleged that he had been murdered.

The other four -- Akshay, Vinay Sharma, Pawan and Mukesh -- were found guilty and sentenced to death by the Delhi High Court in September 2013.

The culprits have challenged the death sentence in Supreme Court, which dismissed their appeal and confirmed the High Court's verdict.

Entire country reacted positively on the Supreme Court's decision. Nirbhaya's parents welcomed the verdict.

The culprits are still left with two more options - they can go for a review at a larger bench of the Supreme Court and then to the President of India seeking a clemency.