TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan was shot useless on 30 September 2008 in Delhi. Picture Courtesy: News18 File Picture
A Delhi courtroom has convicted 4 individuals for the 2008 homicide of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. A fifth accused was discovered responsible of receiving stolen property by the Saket courtroom within the Nationwide Capital on Wednesday (18 October).
The 5 culprits have been convicted underneath the stringent Maharashtra Management of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Extra Classes Decide Ravindra Kumar Pandey has fastened 26 October for asserting the quantum of sentence.
What’s the Soumya Vishwanathan homicide case? How had been the accused arrested? Let’s perceive.
Associated Articles
Soumya Vishwanathan homicide case
Soumya Vishwanathan, a 25-year-old TV journalist working for Headlines As we speak – now often known as India As we speak, was shot useless in Delhi on 30 September 2008 as she was travelling to her dwelling from workplace.
As per an Indian Categorical report, Soumya was returning to her dwelling in Vasant Kunj in a Maruti Zen after finishing her work round 3 am. She instructed her father MK Viswanathan round 3.15 am that she would attain dwelling within the subsequent 15-20 minutes.
The Delhi police mentioned they obtained a name from a rickshaw puller round 3.30 am in regards to the accident. Soumya was discovered useless in her automotive on Nelson Mandela Marg in South Delhi. Forensic studies revealed a gunshot wound in her cranium as the reason for loss of life, which led to the police registering a homicide case, in keeping with the media.
The case created an enormous uproar throughout India, particularly after the then Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit infamously remarked: “Girls shouldn’t be so adventurous” (driving dwelling late and alone), in keeping with The Quint report.
A “Justice for Soumya” marketing campaign erupted throughout cities, with petitions reaching Dikshit after which Union dwelling minister Shivraj Patil, the report added.
How had been the accused arrested?
It took six months earlier than the primary accused had been arrested within the case. CCTV footage had confirmed a automotive chasing Soumya’s car, reported India As we speak.
A significant improvement within the journalist’s case got here in 2009 throughout the investigation into the homicide of BPO worker Jigisha Ghosh.
On 18 March 2009, Jigisha, an operations supervisor in a administration consultancy agency, was kidnapped and killed after her workplace cab dropped her close to her home in Vasant Vihar. Her physique was discovered close to Surajkund in Faridabad, reported Indian Categorical.
Through the probe into her homicide, one of many accused confessed involvement in Soumya Vishwanathan’s homicide, as per The Hindu report.
The questioning of the three accused – Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla and Baljeet Malik – within the Jigisha homicide case led the police to 2 extra culprits – Ajay Sethi and Ajay Kumar – who had been additionally concerned in Soumya’s case.
The restoration of the weapon utilized in Jigisha’s homicide helped the police in fixing the TV journalist’s case as nicely. In keeping with the police’s chargesheet filed in June 2009, theft was the motive behind Soumya’s killing.
Later, the police slapped MCOCA prices towards the 5 accused in Soumya’s case.
In 2017, a trial courtroom awarded a loss of life sentence to Kapoor and Shukla and life imprisonment for Malik within the Jigisha homicide case. Nonetheless, the following yr, the Delhi Excessive Courtroom commuted the loss of life sentence of Kapoor and Shukla to life time period and upheld Malik’s life imprisonment.
ALSO READ: How ex-UP minister Amarmani Tripathi, wife plotted the murder of poet Madhumita Shukla
Prices in Soumya homicide case
The MCOCA prices made the case extra complicated because it was the prosecution’s duty to show these 5 had been a part of an organised crime syndicate. It took the prosecution 13 years to current proof, whereas the trial went on for 15 years, famous Indian Categorical.
The culprits are dealing with prices underneath MCOCA in addition to offences of homicide (Part 302), theft (Part 390) and customary intent (Part 34) underneath the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Sethi has been convicted underneath part 411 IPC (dishonestly stealing property) and sections 3(2) and three(5) of the MCOCA – conspiring to abet, assist or knowingly facilitate organised crime and for receiving the proceeds of organised crime, reported PTI.
Soumya’s household calls for life time period
Madhavi Viswanathan, who misplaced her younger daughter in 2008, has referred to as for all times imprisonment for the convicts.
“We lost our daughter. We demand life term for convicts, they should suffer what we went through,” PTI quoted the slain journalist’s mom as saying.
As per NDTV, HGS Dhaliwal, who was Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) in 2008, shared how Soumya’s father diligently pursued the case and the household refused a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, putting their “faith” within the Delhi police.
“It took us six months to work out the case. Every single day, Viswanathan attended our review meetings, and saw our team working on this case. Viswanathan was made an offer for a CBI investigation. But this is a rare case in which the victim’s family said they want Delhi Police to work on this case,” Dhaliwal, who’s presently the particular commissioner of police of Delhi Police Particular Cell, was quoted as saying by the information channel.
The police officer instructed reporters he was “very happy” with the Delhi courtroom’s verdict.
With inputs from companies