Delhi gang rapist freed, court rules he has served sentence
A man convicted of the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder as a juvenile will be freed after a court today refused to extend his detention, lawyers said.
The man, now 20 years old, completes his three-year term of detention at a special home in the Indian capital on Sunday after serving three years.
He along with five other men were convicted of the gang rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in December 2012, a crime that shocked India and made international headlines.
The government recently appealed to the Delhi High Court to extend his detention, saying the rehabilitation plan was ineffective.
"The court said as per law the stay of the convict cannot be extended beyond Dec 20, the date he completes his term," government lawyer Anil Soni told reporters outside the court.
"Welfare departments will look after his rehabilitation post his release," he added.
According to media reports, the government in its appeal in court said many important aspects - such as mental health assessment and a report from the counsellor who worked with him - were missing from the rehabilitation plan.
The plan was prepared by the special home run by the Delhi state government. The victim's parents also said they did not want the man to be released as he remained a threat to society.
The offender was just short of 18 years of age at the time of the crime and was sentenced to three years in a reform home, the maximum punishment under India's Juvenile Justice Act.
Four others convicted in the case were sentenced to death and a fifth was found dead in prison.
- dpa
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