Why journalist murder trial not concluded, asks Delhi HC

Advocate Amit Kumar, appearing for Malik, also contended that the accused was willing to spend the compensation amount on the welfare of undertrial prisoners in Tihar Jail. To which the court said, “Status report to be filed by the state. Status report shall indicate the reason for delay in conclusion of trial.”

“The trial court will also send latest report on why, despite almost nine-and-a-half years having passed since the chargesheet was filed, the trial has not concluded,” it said, listing the matter for hearing on February 26.

Malik sought to expedite and conclude the trial within a fixed time frame on a day-to-day basis in connection with the alleged murder of Viswanathan, who was shot dead while returning home in her car from office in the early hours of September 30, 2008.

Malik along with two others— Ravi Kapoor and Amit Shukla — were earlier also convicted in the murder of IT executive Jigisha Ghosh. The trial court had awarded death penalty to Kapoor and Shukla and life-term to Malik.

The Delhi High Court then commuted the death sentences of Kapoor and Shukla and upheld Malik’s life term.

Jigisha, an operations manager in a management consultancy firm, was abducted and killed on March 18, 2009, after she was dropped by her office cab near her Vasant Vihar home. Her body was recovered three days later near Surajkund in Haryana.