New Delhi: As the four convicts in the Nirbhaya rape and murder case were hanged on Friday in Tihar Jail, a new chapter was added to the books of the largest complex of prisons in South Asia. This was the first time that four convicts were hanged here in one go and the first executions in India since 2015.
 
The hangings for which the entire nation waited with bated breath finally took place at 5.30 a.m. as the four men convicted for the brutal gang-rape and murder of a medical student in December 2012 were put to death.  

Sandeep Goel, Director General of Tihar Jail, confirmed that the four convicts -- Vinay, Akshay, Mukesh and Pawan -- were hanged together at 5.30 a.m. They were declared dead at 6.10 a.m.

"I am feeling satisfied as my daughter got justice today," Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi said after the news of the executions broke out. Nirbhaya, which means fearless, was named so by the media as Indian laws do not permit a raped woman to be identified. 

Following the hangings, the executioner Pawan Jallad stated, "I am feeling happy after hanging the four convicts. I had waited for this moment for a long time."

. Pursuant to the hangings, a crowd burst into celebrations and began cheering outside the jail premises, undeterred by the coronavirus scare.

Over the years, the convicts adopted several legal manoeuvres to delay the hanging and even succeeded thrice. This time, however, they could not escape the clutches of the judiciary as their last plea was rejected hours before their execution. 

"This is a big day in the history of the nation. The hangings will send a message to the world that such acts should not be committed," said social activist Yogita Bhayana, who has been associated with the case since its beginning.