Justice for Journalist Soumya Viswanathan: 4 Killers Receive Life Imprisonment, 1 Sentenced to 3 Years as Court Dismisses ‘Rarest of the Rare’ Case

Delhi Court Sentences Accused in Soumya Vishwanathan Murder Case

On Saturday (November 25), the Delhi Court pronounced the verdict in the Soumya Vishwanathan murder case, fifteen years after the crime. The Saket Court stated that the offense does not fall under the category of a rarest of rare cases, thus rejecting the appeal for the death penalty.

Justice Ravinder Kumar Pandey sentenced four convicts to life imprisonment, while the fifth accused, Ajay Sethi, received a three-year jail term. Additionally, Ajay Sethi has been fined ₹1.25 lakh.

Earlier on October 18, the court had convicted five accused – Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar, Ajay Sethi, and Baljit Malik. They were charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Soumya Vishwanathan, a 25-year-old journalist, made headlines today. She was shot dead on September 30, 2008, while returning home from work on Nelson Mandela Marg in South Delhi. The police had claimed that the motive behind the murder was an attempted robbery. The five accused have been in custody since March 2009.

Court Convicts Four in Soumya Vishwanathan Murder Case

On October 18, the court convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljit Malik, and Ajay Kumar under IPC Section 302 (murder) and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Ajay Sethi, charged under IPC Section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and MCOCA for encouraging, aiding, and abetting the offense, was found guilty of a different charge.

All the accused were alleged to have followed Soumya’s car with the intent to rob her, and during this pursuit, Ravi Kapoor allegedly shot her with a locally-made pistol. Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar, and Baljit Malik were also present. The police had seized the car used in the crime from the fifth accused, Ajay Sethi, alias Chacha.

Police Cracks Jigisha Ghosh Murder Case

Jigisha Ghosh, 28, the Operational Manager at BP Heavy Associates in Noida, was abducted on March 18, 2009, while returning from the office to her home in Vasant Vihar Extension. The perpetrators kidnapped Jigisha around 4 AM. They later forced her to withdraw money from ATMs and used her ATM and credit cards to make purchases in the Sarojini Nagar market.

Jigisha’s lifeless body was discovered near Surajkund on March 21, three days after the abduction. The investigation into Jigisha’s murder led the police to the culprits involved in the killing of Soumya Vishwanathan.

During the investigation, the police uncovered a vehicle theft racket connected to the two murders. The prime suspect, Ravi Kapoor, was identified as the leader of this criminal gang.