Delhi gang-rape convicts brought to court, nation awaits sentencing

The court had an exhaustive argument over the quantum of the sentence on Wednesday after declaring the four -- Mukesh Singh, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma -- guilty on Tuesday. See Full Coverage

Delhi gang-rape convicts were brought to the Saket court on Friday where judge will announce the sentence against them at around 2.30 pm.

Policemen-stand-guard-near-the-gate-of-a-district-court-where-the-accused-in-the-gang-rape-and-murder-of-a-23-year-old-student-are-undergoing-trial-in-New-Delhi-AP-Altaf-Qadri

The court had an exhaustive argument over the quantum of the sentence on Wednesday after declaring the four -- Mukesh Singh, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Vinay Sharma -- guilty on Tuesday of raping and murdering the 23-year-old physiotherapy intern.

The court based its decision on the victim's dying declaration, forensic evidence, DNA samples, electronic evidence and the testimony of her friend and prime eye witness to the gory incident.

On Wednesday, judge Yogesh Khanna, reserved the decision after hearing the arguments from the defence counsel and the prosecution.

Public prosecutor Dayan Krishnan strongly presented the demand for death penalty before the court. He pleaded before the court to 'show no mercy for convicts'.

It was a premeditated crime, which fell in "the rarest of the rare category", warranting the death sentence, he argued.

The men had used a metal rod and their hands to pull the woman's organs from her body after raping her, the prosecution said. Her injuries were so severe that she died in hospital two weeks after the attack.

Defence counsel also said the crime was committed on the spur of the moment and was not premeditated. Counsel opposed the prosecution's demand for death penalty for the convicted, and said life imprisonment may be given to Pawan instead of death. Pawan is "just 19 years old and there are chances of his reform", the advocate said.

Arguing on the quantum of sentence in the case, the prosecution sought death penalty for the four men accused who were convicted for the gang-rape and murder of the physiotherapist intern.

Meanwhile, the court also rejected the defence lawyers' plea to issue contempt notice to home minister Sushilkumar Shinde for predicting death for convicts.

The police had charged six persons in the incident. The case against one of the main accused, Ram Singh, was dropped following his death in Tihar Jail during the trial earlier in 2013.

The sixth juvenile accused was held guilty by the Juvenile Justice Board on August 31, and was sent to a remand home for three years.

The charges in the instant case were framed on February 2 during which the court also invoked section 366 IPC against them for abducting the girl with the intention of committing "illicit intercourse".

It had in its order described the juvenile as an associate of the adult accused, who committed gang-rape in furtherance of the conspiracy and "common intention."