Supreme Court Reviews Bail for Convicts in Soumya Vishwanathan’s Case

The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice on a plea filed by the Delhi police against the Delhi High Court’s decision to grant bail to four convicts in the 2008 murder of television journalist Soumya Vishwanathan.

Background

Soumya Vishwanathan, who worked with an English news channel, was shot dead on September 30, 2008, while returning home from work in her car. The convicts, Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Singh Malik, and Ajay Kumar, were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court last year.

High Court’s Decision

In February 2024, the Delhi High Court suspended the sentences of the convicts and granted them bail, noting that they had been in custody for 14 years. This decision is now being challenged by Vishwanathan’s mother and the Delhi police.

Supreme Court’s Involvement

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma has tagged the pleas of the Delhi police with the pending petition filed by Vishwanathan’s mother. The Supreme Court had previously issued a notice to the convicts in April 2024.

Details of the Case

According to the prosecution, Ravi Kapoor shot Vishwanathan with a country-made pistol while attempting to rob her. Shukla, Kumar, and Malik were with him during the incident. The convicts were also involved in the 2009 Jigisha Ghosh murder case, for which they received additional sentences.