Delhi High Court directs trial court to expedite trial in journalist Soumya Vishwanathan murder case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the trial court to expedite the trial in the 2008 murder case of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan.

The order came after one of the accused Baljeet Singh Malik moved Delhi HC, through advocate Amit Kumar, to seek a speedy trial in the case.

Soumya Vishwanathan was found shot dead in her car on September 30, 2008, in south Delhi while she was returning home after work at around 3.30 a.m.

It directed the trial court to conclude proceedings as early as possible and preferably on a day-to-day basis or at least to conduct hearing on two days a week.

The High court also directed to appoint a senior police officer to monitor the appearance of prosecution witnesses in the case. Reports traced by ANI said that a senior officer has been appointed to look over the matter.

A prolonged delay to the trail was a result of non-appearance of witnesses on the date fixed for the hearing, the court said.

Till February the trial court concluded the recording of statements of approximately 42 witnesses in the case, it further said.

The prosecution has cited nearly hundreds of witnesses in the chargesheet and supplementary chargesheet.