Soumya Vishwanathan Case: Delhi Court Likely To Pronounce Verdict Over TV Journalist's Murder Today

New Delhi, October 18: A Delhi court on Wednesday is likely pronounce its verdict in the 2008 murder case of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. Additional Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Pandey of the Saket Court had reserved his judgement on October 13. He had given time for additional arguments or clarifications since both the defence and prosecution completed their arguments earlier this month.

The court had also directed all the accused to be present in court

The court had also directed all the accused to be present in court when the judgment is pronounced. On September 30, 2008, Vishwanathan was shot dead on the Nelson Mandela Marg while returning home from work in her car.

Five individuals - Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik, Ajay Kumar, and Ajay Sethi - were arrested in connection with the murder and have been in custody since March 2009.

MCOCA invoked against the accused

The police had attributed the motive for her killing to robbery, and had invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused.

The trial court sentenced Kapoor and Shukla to death

Malik, Kapoor and Shukla were previously been convicted in the 2009 killing of IT executive Jigisha Ghosh. In Ghosh's murder, the trial court sentenced Kapoor and Shukla to death and awarded a life term to Malik.

Subsequently, in the following year, the high court commuted the death sentences of Kapoor and Shukla to life imprisonment while upholding Malik's life term in the Ghosh's murder case.