In a landmark judgment, the Delhi's Tis Hazari Court has handed down life imprisonment to three individuals involved in the shocking murder of Ankit Saxena, a 23-year-old photographer. This tragic event unfolded six years ago, in 2018, stemming from Ankit's interfaith relationship, leading to a fatal outcome orchestrated by his girlfriend's family. On Thursday, the court delivered its verdict, sentencing the girlfriend's parents, Akbar and Shehnaz, along with her uncle, Mohd. Salim, to life in prison. Each of them has also been ordered to contribute a fine of Rs 50,000.

The distressing affair began when Ankit Saxena was mercilessly killed in February 2018, located in West Delhi’s Raghubir Nagar. The motive behind this heinous act was his relationship with a girl from the Muslim community, which her family vehemently opposed. Following the murder, the woman expressed fears for her life from her family, prompting her relocation to Nari Niketan, a women's shelter. Subsequently, she was moved to her aunt's residence for safety.

In the days following the tragic incident, swift action led to the arrest of the girl's immediate family members, including her brother, uncle, and parents. The legal proceedings culminated on the 7th of March, when the court issued its sentence, convicting three members of the family for their roles in the gruesome murder of Ankit Saxena.

Additional sessions judge Sunil Kumar Sharma addressed the accused during the sentencing, stating, "Taking into consideration your age, background, antecedents and the work that you did before the incident, I am sentencing you to life imprisonment." This decision considered the comprehensive background of each individual involved in the crime.

Furthermore, the court imposed a significant financial penalty on the convicts, mandating a fine of Rs 50,000 each. The individuals subjected to this fine were identified as Akbar Ali (the girl's father), Shehnaz Begum (the girl's mother), and Mohammad Salim (the girl's uncle), all convicted on December 23, 2023, for their involvement in the murder, nearly six years after the tragic event.

In a significant development, a Delhi court recently convicted three people for the murder of Ankit Saxena. This case, which took place in 2018, had deeply impacted the city, highlighting the serious consequences of familial opposition to interfaith relationships.

At the heart of the conflict was the relationship between Ankit Saxena and the daughter of two of the accused, Akbar Ali and Shehnaz Begum. Their opposition to the relationship, due to the couple belonging to different faiths, was a pivotal factor in the tragic turn of events.

The court's decision, led by Additional Sessions Judge Sunil Kumar Sharma, was based on a combination of scientific evidence and eyewitness testimonies. On December 23, 2023, it was ruled that "the prosecution had proved the motive of all the accused persons for committing Ankit’s murder."

In the verdict delivered in December, all three were charged under Section 302 (murder) alongside 34 (common intention) of the IPC. Additionally, Shahnaz Begum faced conviction under Section 323 for assaulting Ankit’s mother, Kamlesh Saxena, as she attempted to save her son from the assailants.

Ankit’s mother, reflecting on the judgment, expressed her anguish, stating, "They killed my son with a butchering knife. They should get the death penalty." Since the tragic incident, Ankit’s father has also passed away, adding to the family's profound loss.

Ankit Saxena, a 23-year-old Hindu youth, fell victim to a brutal murder in Delhi, in February 2018. His crime was being in love with a girl named Shehzadi, who came from the Muslim community. The murder was carried out by the girl's family, including her parents, motivated by their strong opposition to the relationship. Despite the pressure to end his relationship with Shehzadi, Ankit's refusal led to his murder, where his throat was slit in a gruesome act of violence.

The details surrounding the murder suggest that the girl’s family had a deep-seated objection to their daughter’s involvement with a Hindu boy. This opposition culminated in a meticulously planned attack under the guise of a road rage incident, leading to Ankit’s tragic demise.

Witnesses reported seeing Shehzadi’s mother wearing a helmet and driving her scooter to the spot where Ankit was. She deliberately crashed her scooter into Ankit’s vehicle, forcing Ankit to come out to assist. With the helmet on, her identity was hidden from Ankit, who stepped out to help without recognizing her.

Following this, Shehzadi's mother confronted Ankit. It wasn't long before other members of her family arrived at the scene. Together, they started to harass and blame Ankit, accusing him of causing Shehzadi to leave her home. A local shopkeeper mentioned that in the face of these accusations from Shehzadi’s family, Ankit denied any romantic involvement with her, hoping to diffuse the situation. Another local noted that Ankit even suggested calling the police or going to the station for help, yet Shehzadi's family continued to assault him.

The commotion alerted Ankit’s parents, who immediately came to the location. However, upon their arrival, Shehzadi’s mother attacked Ankit’s mother, causing her to fall. When Ankit knelt to aid his mother, Shehzadi’s uncle and brother seized him by his hair. In that moment, with his arms restrained by them from behind, Shehzadi’s father fatally cut Ankit’s throat with a butcher knife.

In the aftermath of the tragic murder of Ankit Saxena, a concerning trend emerged in the way some media outlets reported the incident. Despite the horrific nature of the crime, several reports in both Hindi and English mainstream media appeared to downplay the severity of the case. A notable aspect of these reports was their cautious approach to discussing the religious background of the accused and the element of religious animosity fueling the act. This cautiousness in reporting led to a muted public reaction, with the expected wave of outrage over the brutal murder and its underlying motives largely absent. The careful omission of the religious angle in these reports raised questions about the media's role in addressing sensitive issues of interfaith discord.

In contrast to the subdued media response, Ankit Saxena's father, Yashpal Saxena, emerged as a beacon of communal harmony and tolerance amidst the turmoil. Despite the profound personal loss inflicted by his son's murder—carried out by the family of Ankit's Muslim girlfriend due to objections over their interfaith relationship—Yashpal Saxena took a stand that garnered widespread admiration. He publicly urged the community not to view the tragedy through a communal lens, advocating for peace and unity instead. His efforts to bridge communal divides were further highlighted when he organized an interfaith iftar party in 2018, during the holy month of Ramzan. This event, attended by a diverse group of social activists, symbolized a poignant message of reconciliation and shared humanity, even in the face of personal grief.

The investigation into the murder revealed that Ankit's relationship with his girlfriend became known to her family through the discovery of text messages and call logs on her phone. This discovery triggered the events leading to Ankit's murder. In the immediate aftermath, concerns for the girlfriend's safety arose when she expressed fears that her family might target her next. To protect her, authorities placed her in Nari Niketan, a shelter for women at risk. This was a temporary measure until she could be moved to her aunt's house for a more stable living arrangement. The swift action by law enforcement saw the arrest of her uncle, parents, and brother shortly thereafter, bringing those responsible for the crime into custody.

In reaching its verdict, the court placed significant weight on the findings of the medical professional who performed the post-mortem examination on Ankit Saxena. The doctor's testimony was crucial, as it confirmed that Ankit's death resulted from the use of "a sharp-edged weapon" and that the killing was intentional, or "homicidal" in nature. This piece of evidence was instrumental in establishing the violent circumstances under which Ankit met his end. Moreover, the court took note of the fact that Shehzadi's parents, Begum and Ali, had moved to a different residence with the clear intent of severing the ties between Ankit and their daughter, adding another layer of premeditation to their actions.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution's case was bolstered by the accounts of as many as 28 witnesses, underscoring the breadth of testimonial evidence presented. Among these witnesses were pivotal figures such as Yashpal Saxena, Ankit's grieving father who served as the complainant; Kamlesh, Ankit's mother; and Ankit's friends, Nitin and Anmol Singh. Their testimonies provided a comprehensive view of the events leading up to and following Ankit's murder, painting a vivid picture of the tragic loss they endured.

Further reinforcing the prosecution's argument, witnesses for the prosecution reported that the accused had not only physically attacked Ankit but had also subjected him and his parents to verbal abuse and threats. This behavior indicated a pattern of hostility and aggression towards Ankit and his family, which culminated in the fatal attack.

In defense of the accused, their legal representation relied on the testimonies of six witnesses to highlight supposed inconsistencies and flaws in the prosecution's narrative. The defense argued that the statements made by Ankit's parents were unreliable, suggesting they had been influenced or "tutored" by the Investigating Officer in charge of the case. However, these claims were met with skepticism by the court. After careful consideration, the court dismissed the defense's arguments, concluding that the defense's narrative was itself constructed and influenced, described as "tutored" and "guided." This decisive rejection of the defense's claims underscored the strength of the evidence against the accused and supported the court's decision to convict them for their roles in Ankit Saxena's murder.