Today, On 3rd July, The Delhi Police approached the Supreme Court to challenge the bail granted by the Delhi High Court to the convicts in the murder of journalist Soumya Viswanathan. The High Court had granted bail to Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar, and Baljeet Malik, considering they had been imprisoned for nearly 14 years.
New Delhi: The Delhi Police appealed to the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court’s decision to grant bail to four individuals convicted of the 2008 murder of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan.
The Special Leave Petition (Appeal) filed by the police admitted by the registry on June 12, 2024, and is scheduled for a hearing on July 8, Monday, before a two-judge bench led by Justice Bela M. Trivedi, when the Supreme Court reopens after its summer recess.
Read Also: 2008 Soumya Viswanathan Murder Case | SC Seeks Response from Delhi Govt. on Interim Bail
Previously, on April 22, 2024, a bench headed by Justice Trivedi had issued notices to both the Delhi Police and the four convicts Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Singh Malik, and Ajay Kumar. This was in response to an appeal filed by Soumya Vishwanathan‘s mother, Madhavi Vishwanathan, who challenging the release of the convicts.
This high-profile case, which drawn significant media attention, saw Soumya Vishwanathan tragically losing her life in 2008. The recent developments have reignited public interest, with many closely monitoring the judicial proceedings as they unfold.
On February 12, 2024, three months after receiving life sentences, the Delhi High Court admitted the appeals of four convicts, suspending their sentences and granting them bail until the appeals are resolved.
The High Court provided relief to the four convicts based on the fact that they had already spent 14 years and 9 months in jail since their arrest. However, they remained incarcerated due to serving a life sentence for the murder of Jigisha Ghosh, an IT professional.
Soumya Vishwanathan tragically shot dead in her car around 3:30 a.m. on South Delhi’s Nelson Mandela Marg in September 2008 while driving home from work.
Soumya Viswanathan, a dedicated journalist employed with India Today, tragically lost her life in September 2008. Her lifeless body discovered in her car in Vasant Kunj. The forensic reports indicated that her untimely demise caused by a fatal gunshot wound to her head. According to the police investigation, it revealed that Vishwanathan returning home late at night from her office when she was relentlessly pursued and shot.
Police reported that the motive behind the murder was robbery.