NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has approved the filing of a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging its decision to acquit three convicts in the 2012 Chhawla rape-and-murder case who were awarded the death sentence by a lower court, officials said on Monday.
Saxena has also approved engaging Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to represent the Delhi government in the case, a senior official said.
The father of the victim welcomed Saxena’s decision and hoped that the three men will be hanged to death.“I have rested all my hopes on the Solicitor General of India now. I am sure he will convince the Supreme Court and get all the three rapists and murderers hanged to death,” the victim’s father said. He said the family was yet to come to terms with the November 7 apex court judgment acquitting them.
The three men Rahul, Ravi Kumar, and Vinod alias Chhotu were awarded the death sentence by a trial court which was upheld by the Delhi High Court for the gruesome rape and murder of a 19-year old woman on February 9, 2012 at Chhawla in Delhi’s Dwarka.
They had appealed against the sentence in the Supreme Court which set aside the trial court and high court orders in its judgment on November 7 this year. “The L-G has approved the filing of a review petition in the Supreme Court against its decision of acquitting the three accused,” a senior government official said.
The SC’s acquittal prompted the parents of the victim to seek police protection out of fear, the officials said. While acquitting the three men, the Supreme Court had said the law does not permit courts to punish an accused on the basis of moral conviction or on suspicion alone.
Trial court awarded death sentence to 3 accused
The three men Rahul, Ravi Kumar, and Vinod alias Chhotu were awarded death sentence by a trial court which was upheld by the Delhi High Court for the gruesome rape and murder of a 19-year old woman on February 9.