Soumya Vishwanathan Murder: Court Likely To Give Order On Sentence Tomorrow

A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on Thursday its order on the quantum of sentence against the five accused in the killing of television journalist Soumya Vishwanathan in 2008.

Vishwanathan, who was working with a leading English news channel in Delhi, was shot dead in the wee hours of September 30 on Nelson Mandela Marg while she was returning home from work. Police had claimed that the motive behind the killing was robbery.

On October 18, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravindra Kumar Pandey convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ajay Kumar for the offence of murder and common intention under the IPC.

They were also held guilty under provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for committing organised crime resulting in the death of the person. The offences entail the death penalty as the maximum sentence.

The court also convicted the fifth accused Ajay Sethi under section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and MCOCA provisions for conspiring to abet, aid or knowingly facilitate organised crime and for receiving the proceeds of organised crime.

"Be put up for order on sentence after compliance of guideline…on October 26," the court had said.
 

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