Benjamin, Reuben's brother who was also one of the witnesses, said, "Their (accused) faces clearly showed that they were dejected. Their mindsets might not change but we're hoping that others will change their mindset."
It took over five years for justice to prevail but finally all four accused in the 2011 Keenan Santos-Reuben Fernandez murder case were pronounced guilty on Thursday morning. The sentence of life imprisonment for them came in as catharsis for the families of the deceased.
Expressing his satisfaction over the verdict, Keenan's father Valerian Santos (56) said, "I am happy with the life imprisonment sentence. These rogue elements should feel how Keenan and Reuben felt. They will think about their deeds in the jail. The journey of five years, however, is not over yet. The accused will appeal to the higher court."
Benjamin, Reuben's brother who was also one of the witnesses, said, "Their (accused) faces clearly showed that they were dejected. Their mindsets might not change but we're hoping that others will change their mindset."
Vrigida, Reuben's mother, however, expressed her dissatisfaction over the delay in the case. "It was supposed to be a fast-track case. The opposition, however, kept on asking for unnecessary things. This should change now."
After the murder of the two boys, a lot of people came forward to demand justice for them. Ankita Verma, who along with others including Keenan's father, launched a campaign named Zero Tolerance, said, "This is just the beginning for us. We must not stop till eve-teasing and sexual harassment is annihilated. It won't do justice to anyone."
"I hope the verdict creates fear among people who don't think twice before teasing a woman. The campaign will not die, neither will Keenan and Reuben. They'll remain alive in the hearts of all those who take a step towards protecting the integrity of someone else," said Sheldon, Keenan's younger brother, Neil Shah, a close friend of the duo, said, "We are at the top of our emotions right now. It is a personal closure. Today we can say that they're coming back home. All the memories of the boys have just come to life today. We hope we can deal with the larger issue now."
Meanwhile, responding to people who had been blaming the girls for the murders, Vrigida said, "It is rubbish to blame the girls. They were merely standing there. It is high time we stop blaming the girls. Rather, I blame it on the lack of education. If every woman educates their child, no woman will suffer again," she said.
"The minute I heard about the verdict, I broke down," said one of the female friends of Santos and Fernandez, whom was being harassed on that fateful night.
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