Five Convicted in 2008 Murder of Journalist Soumya Vishwanathan

New Delhi: In a significant development today, a Delhi court delivered a long-awaited verdict, finding five individuals guilty in the 2008 murder case of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan . Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljit Mallick , and Akshay Kumar were convicted of murder and robbery, while the fifth accused, Ajay Sethi , was found guilty of assisting the others.

Soumya Vishwanathan, a 25-year-old journalist with Headlines Today , was tragically killed in Delhi's Vasant Vihar on September 30, 2008, as she was returning from work in her car. Her murder, which involved a fatal headshot, sent shockwaves through the nation, and justice has been awaited for over a decade.

Speaking to the media after the verdict, Soumya's mother expressed a sense of closure, saying, "We lost our daughter, but this will act as a deterrent for others." She has urged the court to impose life imprisonment for the convicted individuals.

The breakthrough in the case came during the investigation of another murder case - the 2009 killing of IT executive Jigisha Ghose , who was found dead in Faridabad several months after Soumya's tragic demise. Kapoor, Shukla, and Mallick had been previously arrested in connection with Ghose's death, and it was during their questioning that the police uncovered their involvement in Soumya's murder. Subsequently, two more individuals were apprehended.

The accused were charged with murder, destruction of evidence, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. Additionally, they were slapped with charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), which was first enacted in Mumbai and later extended to Delhi in 2002 by the Union Home Ministry.

The judgment, eagerly awaited by the victim's family and the public, was pronounced this afternoon by Additional Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Pandey of the Saket Court . The court had reserved the judgment on October 13, granting both the defense and prosecution time for additional arguments and clarifications.

Upon delivering the verdict, the senior police officer HGS Dhaliwal, who had been involved in the case since its early stages, hugged Soumya Vishwanathan's mother, offering some solace to a grieving family.

The court has fixed the sentencing for October 26, where the fate of the convicted individuals will be decided.

Soumya Vishwanathan's murder not only had a profound impact on her family but also led to a renewed focus on the need for justice in such cases. The extended legal battle, with its twists and turns, is a testament to the unwavering commitment of the judiciary and the law enforcement agencies in ensuring that those who commit heinous crimes are brought to justice.

The accused have been in custody since March 2009, and the police had initially attributed the motive for her killing to robbery, invoking the stringent MCOCA provisions against them.

It's worth noting that Mallick, Kapoor, and Shukla had previously been convicted in the 2009 murder of IT executive Jigisha Ghosh , with Kapoor and Shukla initially sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment by the high court, while Malik received a life term, which was upheld.