Pratibha’s mother Gowramma said the court seems to have failed to take note of the pain that Pratibha would have undergone on that fateful night, and the agony of her family. With tears welled up in her eyes she said she battled only to see the convict sent to gallows.

“We all see prisoners being let off during national festivals. That should not happen in Shivkumar’s case.  He should not be allowed to come out even for a while from his cell so that he can realise the agony,” she said. Ultimately she resigned herself to the verdict saying that Shivkumar would die every day, more painful than the way her daughter was killed.

Gowramma managed to attend all the hearings during the five-year trial, but couldn’t make to the court hall on the day of the verdict. She was whisked away by a leading news channel for a bite.

Capital punishment

The victim’s relative Srinivas said he was utterly disappointed with the punishment awarded. “We all wanted to see him (Shivkumar) going to gallows but the court seems has not found it a rarest of the rare case. We are contemplating to prefer an appeal seeking capital punishment for him,” said Srinivas.

A second cousin of Prathibha and a medico Shriram said the government has to pursue the case to send the culprit to the gallows to send a strong message to criminals of Shivkumar’s ilk. Pratibha’s uncle S Srinivas felt that the punishment was not a strong message against sexual harassment of women.

However, Public Prosecutor V K Patil said the punishment awarded more worse than death.

Wife threatens suicide

Suma, the wife of convicted cabbie Shivkumar threatened to commit suicide if her husband did not get justice.

“My husband is innocent and has been made a scapegoat,” she said at the court premises. Shivkumar is likely to prefer an appeal in the High Court against the verdict.