A Delhi court has recently awarded a life sentence to three people in connection with the murder of Ankit Saxena in 2018. Saxena, a 23-year-old photographer was stabbed to death by the family of his Muslim girlfriend.
Additional Sessions Judge Sunil Kumar Sharma observed that taking into consideration the age, background, antecedents and the work of the convicts, before the incident took place, the court is sentencing them to life imprisonment.
Almost six years after the incident, Delhi’s Tis Hazari court sentenced the woman’s father, mother, and maternal uncle for murdering Ankit Saxena. The Delhi Court, while delivering a verdict last week, imposed the sentence on Mohammad Salim, Akbar Ali, and his wife Shahnaz Begum, attributing the crime to interfaith marriage.
Additionally, the court has also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on all three offenders. Taking into account their age and criminal records, the court decided against the death penalty. Furthermore, the sum collected from the fines will be handed over to Ankit Saxena’s family, as declared by the court.
The Delhi Court said that the prosecution successfully demonstrated that Ankit Saxena’s murder was a result of his relationship with a girl from another community. The 23-year-old photographer was in a relationship with 20-year-old Shehzadi. The girl’s family was against the relationship and had warned Ankit to end it. Before his murder, Ankit Saxena had an argument with his girlfriend’s family after which her mother, father, brother and maternal uncle stabbed him and slit his neck.
The horrific incident occurred in February 2018 in Raghubir Nagar in West Delhi. The 23-year-old was killed in front of his parents allegedly by family members of his girlfriend. He was stabbed and had his throat slit using a sharp weapon. The incident occurred when Saxena was on his way to meet his girlfriend. Saxena was caught by her family in Raghubir Nagar and a verbal spat followed. Eventually, Saxena was kicked and punched by the girl’s father and uncle before the former stabbed him and slit his throat. The duo were in a relationship for more than two years.
Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assured that the Delhi government would ensure Ankit Saxena’s family gets justice and his perpetrators get the highest quantum of punishment.