Delhi Court Finds Interfaith Relationship As Motive In Ankit Saxena Murder Case, Sentences Girl's Family For Life Imprisonment

Six years after the murder of Ankit Saxena, the father, mother and maternal uncle of the girl he was in a relationship with, were sentenced to life imprisonment by Delhi's Tees Hazari court on Thursday (7 March).

23-year-old Saxena was slit in the throat by the girl's father Akbar Ali at Raghubir Nagar market junction of Delhi around 8:30 pm on 1 February 2018. The family was arrested soon after the crime.

Additional Sessions Judge Sunil Kumar Sharma convicted all three accused and acknowledged that the prosecution was able to prove that the motive of the murder was an interfaith relationship between Saxena and the girl.

However, Saxena's mother is not reportedly happy with the decision as she demanded capital punishment for the convicts. The family is now planning to move Delhi High Court against the order, Jagran reported.

After Saxena's murder, the family had changed their locality. Saxena's friend Nitin gave his testimony before the court. The charge sheet against the three accused was filed by Delhi Police in April 2018.

After years of trial since May 2018, the court finally reserved its order in the case on 9 December 2023 and pronounced the judgment today against the girl's father, mother Shehnaz Begum and maternal uncle Mohammed Salim.

Read our earlier reports on the case:

• Behind Ankit Saxena Murder, A Familiar Foe In Religious Bigotry?

• Ankit Saxena Killing: Residents Shocked That Their Neighbour Hated A Man Enough To Kill Him