• Supreme Court upholds death penalty for three men
• 2012 rape and murder of medical student sparked outrage

NEW DELHI: India's Supreme Court on Monday upheld the death penalty for three men convicted in the gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi in 2012, a landmark case that focused attention on violence against women.

A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra dismissed petitions filed by the men to review a 2017 order by the top court, which had confirmed the death penalty given to them by the Delhi High Court.

"There is no merit in the petitions," said Justice Ashok Bhushan, who read out the judgment.

The three men - Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh - had asked the Supreme Court to consider less severe punishment. A fourth man did not appeal his death sentence.

The brutal gang rape of the woman, a 23-year-old medical student who later died of her injuries, sparked national outrage, protests and a rare debate on crimes against women. But six years later, there are few signs that sexual violence against women is abating.

In 2016, there were 40,000 cases of rape reported in India, and every day, newspapers carry fresh stories of sexual violence against women.