NEW DELHI, 18 October 2006 — “My daughter cannot come back. But at least, her soul will be in peace today,” said Chamman Lal Mattoo yesterday (in Himachal Pradesh) on phone after learning about the conviction of Santosh Singh for raping and killing his daughter Priyadarshini Mattoo 10 years ago. “Finally justice has been delivered,” he said.
Though Mattoo has had to wait 10 years for this day, he is relieved that justice has finally been done. “I can’t express myself. I have no words to express how I feel,” he said. “Justice has been done. Common people in the country can now breathe with ease. This is a step in the right direction,” said Mattoo as he broke down giving his reaction to a news agency. He also thanked Vijay Shanker, director of CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) for taking personal interest in the case.
“Though delayed, at least justice has been served,” said Indu Jalali, a close friend of Priyadarshani, who has been monitoring the case from the beginning.
Describing the conviction of Santosh for the rape and murder of Priyadarshini as a “benchmark” for CBI officials and trial courts, CBI Director Shanker said that the verdict would go a long way in restoring the people’s faith in the criminal justice system. “The CBI welcomes the long-awaited judgment that the Delhi High Court gave today. We have pressed for the maximum punishment for the guilty and we will strive for the death penalty for him,” Shanker said.
Dismissing Santosh’s plea of innocence as being incompatible with evidence against him, the court said yesterday: “We hold him guilty of the offense he committed.” The bench comprising Justice R.S. Sodhi and Justice P.K. Bhasin said: “The acquittal order passed by the trial judge in 1999 has shocked the conscience of the judiciary.” The sentence of death or life imprisonment would be prescribed after Diwali vacation, the bench said.
Observing that the overall analysis of the circumstances and evidence proved beyond doubt that Santosh had committed rape and murder, the bench said: “We are of the view to convict him (Santosh) under section 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code.” The court also ordered CBI to take Santosh, who was present, into custody forthwith and fixed Oct. 30 for hearing arguments on point of sentencing.
It was on Jan. 23, 1996 that Priyadarshini was raped and killed allegedly by Santosh Singh, son of a former police officer. She was strangled to death in the bedroom of her Vasant Kunj apartment in south Delhi. There were 19 injuries on her person. Priyadarshini had earlier filed a harassment complaint against Santosh with the Vasant Kunj police. He was arrested and let off after he wrote a letter of apology. However, he continued stalking her and misbehaved with her again on Nov. 6, 1995, even though a police guard Rajender Singh was accompanying her. Though Rajender was the first to see the body, he was not on duty when she was murdered.
Within a week, after registering a report, the Delhi Police handed over the case to CBI, which filed a charge sheet against Santosh on April 11, 1996. Additional Sessions Judge G.P. Thareja closed examination of witnesses within a year and delivered the judgment on Dec. 3, 1999, in which Santosh was acquitted for lack of evidence. Lashing at CBI for shoddy investigations, while delivering the judgment, the judge had then said: “Though I know he is the man who committed the crime, I acquit him, giving him the benefit of the doubt.”
