Published On : Thu, May 28th, 2015

Kejriwal acts on Soumya’s mom’s plea for speedy justice for slain daughter

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NewDelhi/Nagpur: At last, some action that will bring some solace to the grieving parents’ of Soumya. Their daughter was a young journalist who was shot dead six years ago while returning from her work in Delhi. Her killers were apprehended within six months but they have not been convicted yet. Same old story of Indian justice system – justice denied by being indefinitely delayed. What was worse that this gang of men has killed other women in similar circumstances, killing Jigasha four months after targeting Soumya.

Finally her anguished mother wrote an open letter to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and is entreating people across the country to sign her petition for appointment of special prosecutor. Her parents also met Chief Minister Kejriwal and requested filling of the post which fell vacant when the existing special prosecutor left the case for private practice in October 2014.

As a response, The Delhi government has decided to appoint a new special prosecutor in the case ofand appeal for a speedy trial, officials said on Thursday.

Kejriwal assured them this would be done and directed Home Minister Satyendra Jain to ensure a new public prosecutor is appointed.

Jain told them that the Delhi government will bear the expenses of the special prosecutor and will move an application for putting the case on fast track.

The Mother’s petition

“My daughter, Soumya was shot dead in the National Capital by a gang of men. Six years later I am still waiting for justice.
The legal case has stalled because the public prosecutor in the case resigned last year. 8 months later, the Delhi government has yet to replace him. We were promised a speedy trial and yet a simple technicality is holding back justice for my daughter.
I have started this petition asking Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Delhi government to appoint a public prosecutor and fast track the case. Sign my petition.

When cases are delayed, it only favours the accused – crucial evidence is lost, eye-witnesses turn hostile. If the public prosecutor appointment is delayed anymore, I might never get justice for my daughter.

Only a third of the sixty witnesses have been examined so far. Evidences have not been produced, hearings are delayed and then cancelled. I am not going to give up and I need your support.

Help me get 50,000 signatures and I will take the petition to Arvind Kejriwal to showcase that the public are demanding justice for Soumya.

This is not just about my daughter. The men accused of killing my daughter are also accused in several cases. They are being tried for the murder of another young woman, Jigisha Ghosh. Her family is also suffering and they too want justice for their only daughter.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has promised to look after the citizens of Delhi. He was elected because he promised safety for women in the capital. If enough of us sign this petition we can hold him accountable to his election promises.
Sign my petition asking the Delhi government to immediately appoint a public prosecutor and fast track the murder case of Soumya.”

How Soumya and Jigisha were murdered

The police later confirmed that robbery was the motive for the murder. . They arrested four men who have been identified as Ravi Kapoor, Amit Kumar Shukla, Baljeet Malik alias Poppy and Ajay Kumar. The police also claim to have seized the country-made firearm used to shoot down Soumya in the early hours of September 30 when she was on her way home from office.

During interrogation, Ravi reportedly told the police that he and his accomplices consumed liquor at Amit’s residence on the fateful night, following which they went to PVR Priya in a stolen Wagon-R car. While the four were standing outside the complex, they noticed Soumya drive past and decided to target her.

They chased her car, but she accelerated. This irked Ravi, who was driving, and he allegedly opened fire at Soumya at the Nelson Mandela Marg. The bullet hit her in the head. When the men realised that she would not survive, they drove away and disposed of the vehicle later.

Due to the pressure mounted by the police, the accused apparently remained underground. But they struck again in the early hours of March 18 and this time the victim was Jigisha, an operations manager with a Noida-based firm.

They kidnapped Jigisha as she was returning home from work, co erced her to reveal her ATM pin, promising to not kill her if she did so. withdrew money, and then smothered her to death. They kept making purchases with her credit cards the next day too. Finally, it was this that gave them away and they were apprehended.