Soumya Vishwanathan murder case: All 5 guilty; mother wants life sentence

| Updated: 18 October, 2023 3:24 pm IST
All 5 have been declared guilty as charged

According to the verdict four of the guilty have been indicted under Section 302 of the IPC, while another has been booked under Section 411. All have been charged with MCOCA

NEW DELHI: After a period of 15 years, a Delhi court passed a verdict pronouncing all five guilty in the murder of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan on Wednesday. 

According to the verdict, four of the accused, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Singh Malik and Ajay Kumar, including the main accused, Ravi Kapoor, have been booked under Section 302 (Murder) of the Indian Penal Code. On the other hand, another member of the troop, Ajay Sethi, has been booked under Section 411 (Dishonestly receiving stolen property). All of the five have also been charged under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. 

 

Although the verdict has been passed, the quantum of sentence still remains to be adjudged. The court has decided that the sentence will only be decided on October 26. 

Dhaliwal hugs and supports the deceased journalist’s mother

“We want the harshest sentence. We want them to be sentenced for life,” said Mrs Vishwanathan, the mother of the slain journalist.

Special CP of the Delhi police, HGS Dhaliwal, said that the reason why the quantum of sentence had not been decided upon is because of the multitude of cases that have been levied against the indicted. “They were convicted in a very recent murder case and were sentenced for life. I am very glad that they were convicted in this case as well. We can only hope that they get a life sentence,” Dhaliwal said. 

 

However, the parents of the deceased are not entirely happy about the verdict, although they await the sentence to be pronounced. “Verdict has been given but justice has not been done. The only thing that can make us happy, is if our daughter comes back,” said Soumya’s father. 

Vishwanathan was discovered dead in her car in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area on September 30, 2008, initially believed to be a car accident until forensic reports disclosed her cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head. She was a former employee with the India Today group. On the verdict day, the present News Director of the group, Rahul Kanwal, was also present to support the Vishwanathan family — through the victorious judgment too.

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