A Delhi court has handed down life imprisonment to three individuals in connection with the 2018 Ankit Saxena murder case. The verdict stems from the broad day light killing of photographer Ankit Saxena over an inter-faith relationship in February 2018.
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Sunil Kumar Sharma convicted Akbar Ali and Shahnaz Begum, the parents of Saxena's then-girlfriend Shehzadi, and the woman's maternal uncle Mohammad Salim and also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of them.
Special Public Prosecutors Vishal Gosain and Rebecca Mammen John represented the prosecution.
Ankita Saxena's mother told the media, "I lost everything but they are enjoying life even behind bars. They have no remorse. Justice will be delivered only when they are hanged."
"The compensation is also meagre... although money will not bring my son back," she added.
The court, while pronouncing the judgment, said a death sentence in the case was not justified.
"They had clean antecedents with no previous involvement. Further, no history of any criminal inclination, drug abuse or any other addiction has been brought on record. Before being arrested in this case, the convicts were living with their families and were well-rooted in society," it said.
What happened?
Akbar Ali, Shahnaz Begum and Mohammad Salim had used a butcher's knife to kill Saxena in front of his parents. Shehzadi's parents had opposed her relationship with Saxena as the two belonged to different communities.
The 23-year-old Saxena was stabbed multiple times in the Khyala area of West Delhi by Akbar Ali, Shahnaz Begum, parents of Saxena's girlfriend Shehzadi, and maternal uncle Mohammad Salim.
The trio was convicted by the court on December 23, 2023.
They were charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention).
A comprehensive order from the court is anticipated, reported PTI.
