New Delhi: The Delhi Legal Service Authority (DLSA) on Saturday submitted the Victim Impact Assessment Report concerning the killing of Ankit Saxena, who was murdered in full public view in West Delhi in 2018.
Ankit’s mother being the sole surviving member of the family following the demise of his father, the report is pivotal for assessing compensation.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sunil Kumar Sharma of Tis Hazari Court has taken the report on record and scheduled the matter for hearing the arguments on sentencing the three convicts involved in the case for March 2.
On January 31, the court had directed the DLSA to compile and submit the Victim Impact Assessment Report.
The court had convicted Akbar Ali, Shahnaz Begum, and Mohammad Salim on December 23 last year.
The case took a darker turn in 2018 after it was revealed that the perpetrators of the crime were none other than the parents and maternal uncle of Ankit’s girlfriend, who opposed Ankit’s interfaith relationship. They were later convicted.
Earlier, an affidavit submitted on behalf of convict Salim lacked attestation by the jail superintendent, leading to procedural concerns. Akbar Ali’s counsel had expressed the accused’s intention to add details to the affidavit, requesting additional time.
The counsel had also raised objections to media reporting of the case, saying that daily coverage could impede the rights of the convicts. They sought a directive to impose restrictions on media reporting.
The Special Public Prosecutor had countered this, saying that the case had concluded with the judgement being a public document and subject to media reporting.
At this, the court had asked the counsel to file a formal application regarding media reporting restrictions.
The charges against the convicts include IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Moreover, Shahnaz Begum has also been convicted of voluntarily causing hurt.
–IANS