New Delhi: The CBI on Monday pressed for death penalty before the Delhi High Court for Santosh Kumar Singh, convicted for committing rape and murder of Priyadarshini Mattoo, a Delhi University law student, eleven years ago.
Mattoo's family lawyer B L Wali has said that the defence had argued for life imprisonment for Santosh Singh claiming that the injuries observed on Priyadarshini's body were not very grave.
Priyadarshini Mattoo’s father C L Mattoo said: “I hope no other father will have to meet the same fate as me. This should act as a deterrent for future criminals. My daughter's soul will finally rest in peace. I hope the judgement will bring the focus back on Nitish Katara and Jessica Lall cases. They should also get the justice in the same manner.”
“It’s an exciting judgment by the judges. We thank the judges for it. The judgment has protected the right of the common man. It proved that justice prevails in this country. God has been kind to us. The judgement was a symbol of women hood. Mattoo was a symbol of women hood,” Ashok Pandit, filmmaker and activist in the movement for 'Justice For Priyadarshini Mattoo', said.
Reacting to the verdict on Mattoo case actor Anupam Kher said: “It’s a landmark judgment.”
Former CBI Director Joginder Singh said: “Some people have been waiting for death row since 1993. Hopefully now the Government will take the cases in a speedy manner.”
“We never thought the court would give such a stringent verdict,” one of the many students who took to the streets to support the cause, Aditya said. Aditya and his friends did not know Mattoo personally.
Appearing for the prosecution, Additional Solicitor General Amrendra Sharan submitted before a Bench of Justice R S Sodhi and Justice P K Bhasin that this case fell under the category of 'rarest of rare' cases because after assessing all circmustances, the offence committed by Singh was "diabolical, gruesome and brutal".
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