3 min readNew DelhiJan 8, 2024 09:02 AM IST
First published on: Jan 8, 2024 at 05:19 AM IST
A Delhi court recently convicted three people for the murder of Ankit Saxena — a case which rocked the capital in 2018.
Ankit was in a relationship with the daughter of two of the accused —Akbar Ali and Shehnaz Begum who were allegedly opposed to the match as the two belonged to different faiths. The third accused was the woman’s uncle.
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Sunil Kumar Sharma, relying on scientific evidence and testimony of eyewitnesses, ruled on December 23, 2023 that the prosecution had proved the motive of all the accused persons for committing Ankit’s murder.
All three were accused under Section 302 (murder) read with 34 (common intention) of the IPC. The court additionally convicted Begum under Section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt). The court will decide the quantum of punishment on January 15.
It was on February 1, 2018, when 23-year-old photographer Ankit was waylaid by the family of his 20-year-old girlfriend and killed in full public view in Raghubir Nagar of Khyala area in West Delhi. Police said Ankit was beaten for 10-15 minutes by Ali, Begum, their minor son and their relative, Mohd Salim. Police also said that while the accused were arguing with Ankit, the latter’s parents and friends came to his rescue. However, his mother was manhandled by the accused. The police took cognizance of the statements of the parents who alleged their son was killed in front of them. They tried to take him to the hospital in an e-rickshaw but he was declared “brought dead”.
According to the investigation, the relationship had come to light when the woman’s family found her texts and call logs indicating her communication with Ankit.
Soon after the murder, the woman was sent to Nari Niketan as she claimed that her family might try to kill her as well. She was later sent to her aunt’s house. Her uncle, parents and brother were caught within days.
Relying on the testimony of a doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination, the court said that the prosecution was able to prove that the death was caused by “a sharp-edged weapon and the manner of the death was homicidal”. It was also noted that Begum and Ali had changed their residence with the motive to end Ankit’s relationship with their daughter.
As many as 28 witnesses were relied upon by the prosecution. Key witnesses included Yashpal Saxena, complainant and father of the deceased, Kamlesh, the mother of the deceased, and Nitin and Anmol Singh – Ankit’s friends.
According to the court, the testimony of the prosecution witnesses also suggested that the accused had hurled abuses and threats at the deceased and his parents. Relying on six witnesses, the defence submitted before the court that there were various flaws in the prosecution’s case. The defence also told the court that Ankit’s parents made false statements as they were “tutored” by the Investigating Officer. Rejecting the arguments, the court said that the entire defence of the accused persons is “tutored” and “guided”.
Ankit Saxena was killed in west Delhi allegedly by the family members of a woman with whom he was in a relationship. (Express File Photo) 
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