A death row convict in the Jigisha Ghosh murder case today moved the Delhi High Court challenging the trial court’s order awarding him life imprisonment in another case of killing a cab driver.
Convict Ravi Kapoor’s appeal came up for hearing before a bench of Justices G S Sistani and Vinod Goel, which issued notice to Delhi Police and sought its response before March 10.
The bench has also asked the police to file their reply on the convict’s application for bail in the matter.
The trial court in October last year had awarded life term to Kapoor and Ajay Kumar, who were convicted of kidnapping and killing Mohd Nadeem in January 2009.
Kapoor, however, escaped the gallows in this case as the trial court was of the view that it did not fall under rarest of the rare category.
On August 22, 2016, Kapoor and others were awarded death sentence for killing 28-year-old IT executive Jigisha. Appeal against this matter is pending for consideration before the high court. Kapoor and three others are also facing trial for allegedly killing journalist Soumya Vishwanathan in 2008.
In connection with the killing of a taxi-driver, the trial court had also held two others — Aarif and Ajay Sethi — guilty of the offence under section 413 (habitually dealing in stolen property) of IPC. The court had sentenced them to imprisonment already undergone during the trial.
According to the prosecution, on January 8, 2009, the police received an information that a body with bullet injuries was found in a forest area near Vasant Kunj area of south Delhi.
An FIR was lodged at Vasant Kunj police station against unknown persons under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of IPC.
On March 23, 2009 when Kapoor was arrested in another murder case, he disclosed his involvement in Nadeem’s killing.
At Kapoor’s instance, three other accused were arrested for killing Nadeem, who was kidnapped in his Tavera car and shot dead by the convicts. A charge sheet was filed on July 1, 2009.
In 2010, the court framed charges under sections 302, 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) and 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of IPC.
( Source – PTI )
