Delhi Government To Challenge Supreme Court's Acquittal Order In Chhawla Case

The Delhi government will challenge the Supreme Court's order acquitting three convicts in a 2012 gangrape and murder case. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has also approved the appointment of Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General and Aishwariya Bhati, additional SG, to represent the case before the apex court.

A week ago, Supreme Court acquitted the three men accused of abducting, raping and killing a 19-year-old woman in February 2012.

Delhi Government To Challenge Supreme Court Order

Days after filing the petition, Saxena said the deceased's parents met him saying they were "broken" by the SC judgment. They had also sought police protection out of fear.

The apex court noted that the prosecution failed to provide leading, cogent, clinching and clear evidence, including those related to DNA profiling and call detail records, against the accused.

In 2014, the three men were accused of abducting, raping and killing the 19-year-old woman in February 2012 in Delhi's Chhawla, months before the Nirbhaya case. Her body was recovered from a field in Haryana three days later with multiple injuries. Several wounds suggested that she was hit with car tools and earthen pots.

A Delhi court in February 2014 had convicted the accused and awarded them the death penalty. The capital punishment was confirmed by the Delhi High Court in August 2014, saying they were "predators" moving on the streets and "were looking for prey".

A trail court termed the case "rarest of rare" and awarded the death penalty to the three accused. The judgment was upheld by the Delhi High Court.

The lawyers of the convicts pleaded to the Supreme Court against the death sentence and cited their age, family background and past criminal record to press for a reduction in sentence.

The mother of the victim lamented the Supreme Court’s acceptance of the prosecution’s case and claimed that she and her family would continue to fight for justice.

"We had high hopes when we went to the Supreme Court, but now we are absolutely destroyed", she said.