Delhi court convicts 5 in journalist Soumya murder case in 2008

A Delhi court on Wednesday convicted four accused in the case of murder of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. The fifth accused has been convicted for other offences linked to the case. The court has also convicted them under the stringent MCOCA law.The Saket court has convicted the accused Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar, Baljeet Malik, and Ajay Sethi for the 2008 murder of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. Responding to the verdict, Soumya Vishwanathan's mother expressed that it would serve as a "deterrent."Soumya, a 25-year-old journalist was killed at Delhi's Vasant Vihar on September 30, 2008 while she was on her way back from work. Her body was found in her car. She had suffered a headshot.
Police's first breakthrough in the case came while it was investigating another murder case - that of IT executive Jigisha Ghose, found dead in Faridabad months after Soumya.Kapoor, Shukla and Malik had been arrested in connection with the IT executive's death. During questioning, police found their links with the Vasant Vihar murder. Thereafter, two more accused were arrested.In its 620-page chargesheet filed in 2009, Delhi Police had said the motive behind the murder was robbery.CCTV footage revealed a car tailing Soumya Vishwanathan's vehicle, and the pivotal moment in the investigation came when two accused, Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla, were arrested in connection with another case.
The Delhi Police identified similarities in the murder pattern of a call centre executive, for which the duo (Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla) was initially arrested, and Soumya Vishwanathan's killing.
In subsequent interrogations, they confessed to the killing of Vishwanathan. The accused had described it as a "thrilling activity".The charge sheet implicating them,was filed in June 2010, followed by the commencement of the trial in November 2010. The trial concluded in July 2016.