The Supreme Court on Monday acquitted three accused who kidnapped a 19-year-old girl and then brutally murdered her in Delhi's Chhawla area. All three challenged the High Court's decision to uphold the death penalty in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the High Court's decision. On February 9, 2012, Ravi Kumar, Rahul and Vinod kidnapped the girl on her way home with three colleagues who lived in the same neighbourhood.
The victim was reportedly taken to a mustard field about 30 km away in Rodhai village of Rewari district, Haryana. Then the girl was thrashed with the tools used in the car, her body was smeared with cigarettes and her face was burnt with acid.
A Delhi court had convicted the three accused under various charges of kidnapping, rape and murder. Recognizing this decision right, the High Court also approved the death penalty. After this, the convicts moved to the Supreme Court against the punishment.
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Justices UU Lalit and Ash Ravindra Bhatt and Bela M Trivedi had reserved the verdict on the matter on 6 April. On behalf of the Delhi government, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati demanded confirmation of the death sentence.
During this, a request was also made to consider the possibility of reforming the culprits. It was argued to the court that one of the convicts, named Vinod, is suffering from an intellectual disability. His ability to think is not good. The counsel appearing for the convicts had urged them to adopt a sympathetic attitude against them.