GUWAHATI: A fast-track court here on Saturday ordered death sentence to a man and life imprisonment to his mother and sister after finding them guilty in the 2017 college student murder case.
The accused Govind Singhal, his mother Kamla Devi and sister Bhawani were convicted for the murder of Shweta Agarawal in the city.
The court held the trio guilty under section 302 along with other relevant sections of Indian Penal Code.
The counsel for the victim’s family said the court had viewed the case as rarest of rare nature. He said the court was convinced that it was a “cold-blooded” murder with the reason being the victim’s refusal to Govind’s marriage proposal.
Shweta’s family said it was a divine judgement.
“This is a divine judgement. After over 18 months, my soul has got peace today. I thank the judiciary, police, state government and various organisations which had stood by us,” Shweta’s father Om Prakash Agarwal told journalists outside the court.
Shweta Agarwal was found murdered at the house of the Singhals. Following an investigation, the police had said the girl was murdered by her boyfriend Govind.
Govind and Shweta were arguing about their marriage at the former's rented accommodation in Shantipur. The argument lead to a fight in which she hit her head against a wall and fell unconscious which left her dead.
Shweta was among toppers in her 12th grade exam in the commerce stream in 2015. At the time of murder, she was a 5th semester student and the murder had triggered outrage among Guwahati residents.