Delhi gang-rape: Akshay Thakur’s stunned family preys for mercy

Lahang Karma, a remote village in Nabinagar block of Bihar’s Aurangabad district, was in a state of shock since morning. One of the men found guilty in the December 16 gang rape case, Akshay Thakur, is from this village.

Lahang Karma, a remote village in Nabinagar block of Bihar’s Aurangabad district, was in a state of shock since morning. One of the men found guilty in the December 16 gang rape case, Akshay Thakur, is from this village.

As media persons descended on the village and told them about the court verdict, Akshay’s family members burst into tears. “Now it’s up to God to see what punishment he gets on Wednesday,” said Saryu Singh, Thakur’s father.

Holding on to their two-year-old son, Akshay’s wife Punita looked stunned. She had observed Teej for the well-being of her husband on Tuesday. Akshay’s mother was inconsolable. “God please return me my son. He cannot do such a thing. Please let him live,” she cried.

His cousin Chhavindra Singh said, “He was a simple man when he was in the village. The environment of a big town like Delhi seems to have turned him into a beast”. The sarpanch of Lahang Karma village, Arvind Paswan, said Thakur had sullied the village’s name.