The Delhi LG, V.K. Saxena has given assent to file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the decision of acquitting the three accused who had been earlier convicted and awarded death sentence by the Trial Court and Delhi High Court for the gruesome rape and murder of a 19-year old girl on 9thFebruary, 2012 at Chhawla, Dwarka, Delhi.
The LG has also approved the appointment of Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General and Aishwariya Bhati, additional SG, for representing the case before the Top Court.
The three men were accused of abducting, raping and killing the 19-year-old woman in February 2012, whose body which was mutilated was found three days after she was abducted.
Last week, the apex court noted that the prosecution had failed to provide leading, cogent, clinching and clear evidence, including those related to DNA profiling and call detail records, against the accused.
In the matter titled Rahul Vs. State, Ravi Kumar Vs. State and Vinod @ Chhotu Vs. State, case FIR No. 35/2012, PS. Chhawla, Dwarka, Delhi, filed on13.02.2012. The police after investigation filed the charge sheet and the court of sessions framed charges against all the three accused on 26.05.2012.
The case was termed as “rarest of rare” in 2014, by a trial court and accused were awarded death penalty .
The accused approached Delhi High Courtand Court vide judgment dated 26.08.2014 dismissed the three appeals and affirmed the sentence of death.
The three accused approached the Supreme Court against the judgment of the High Court. The Supreme Court in its judgment dated 07.11.2022 allowed the above appeals and the judgments and orders of conviction and sentence passed by the Trial Court and High Court were set aside.
After the last week Supreme Court order, two of the three prisoners was released from Rohini Jail recently, which prompted the parents of the murdered girl to seek police protection out of fear.
In a notice issued to Delhi Police, the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) said the matter was extremely sensitive and considering that the perpetrators were now free, high-level security must be provided to the deceased woman’s immediate family members.