Soumya Vishwanathan: All You Need To Know About 2008 Murder Case That Sent Shockwaves Through Delhi

Additional Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Pandey listed the matter for sentencing on October 26.

The Saket Court convicted all five accused in the 2008 murder of Delhi journalist Soumya Vishwanathan.

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New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Wednesday convicted all five accused in the 2008 murder of Delhi journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. The verdict was pronounced after over fifteen years since the crime took place in the national capital.

The Saket Court convicted all the five accused namely Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar, Baljeet Malik, and Ajay Sethi. While Kapoor, Shukla, Kumar, and Malik were convicted under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) provisions, Sethi was convicted for receiving stolen property. 

Additional Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Pandey listed the matter for sentencing on October 26.

Who was Soumya Vishwanathan?

Soumya Vishwanathan, who was 25 years old then, was a journalist for the television channel Headlines Today, which is now known as India Today.

What Happened On September 30, 2008?

On the night of September 30, 2008, Vishwanathan was shot dead while she was returning home from work in her car. The incident took place at around 3:30 am in the Vasant Kunj area of South Delhi. 

The incident sent shockwaves through the city and the journalism community.

Why Was She Murdered?

According to police, the motive behind her murder is robbery. Forensic reports suggested she had died due to a bullet injury in her head.

Police further said that during the investigation, they found the victim was chased and the bullet was fired possibly from another moving vehicle.

How Were The Accused Arrested?

The police got its breakthrough in the Soumya Vishwanathan murder case while investigating another similar crime.

Jigisha Ghosh, a call centre executive, was shot dead on March 19, 2009. While investigating the case, police recovered a weapon that led to the cracking of Vishwanathan’s case.

Police initially arrested Kapoor and Shukla over their alleged connection in the Ghosh murder case. During their interrogation, they confessed to the murder of Vishwanathan, and two more of their accomplices, Ajay Sethi and Ajay Kumar, were arrested.

The trial court had given the death penalty to Kapoor and Shukla and sentenced Malik to a life term in the Jigisha Ghosh murder case in August 2016.

In January 2018, however, the high court commuted the death sentences of Kapoor and Shukla to life imprisonment and upheld the life term for Malik.

What are the charges against the accused?

All the five accused have been in custody since March 2009.

Additional Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Pandey convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ajay Kumar under provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

The fifth accused Ajay Sethi was convicted for receiving stolen property and under MCOCA provisions for conspiring to abet, aid or knowingly facilitate organised crime and for receiving the proceeds of organised crime.