Today, a part of her wish came true. Kapoor and Shukla were awarded the death sentenced and were to be hanged upon confirmation by the Delhi high Court, whereas Malik was given a life sentence.
On July 14, when a sessions court here, convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla and Baljeet Malik of killing Jigisha Ghosh, her mother Savita, let out a deep sigh of relief. However, her fight for justice was far from over, she wanted to see her daughter's killers hanged.
Today, a part of her wish came true. Kapoor and Shukla were awarded the death sentenced and were to be hanged upon confirmation by the Delhi high Court, whereas Malik was given a life sentence.
Savita and JN Ghosh, survived to see the verdict today. The seven year journey for the aged couple has been nothing short of hell on earth. "My husband and I died the day our daughter died. She was our life - our world revolved around her," Savita said, hours after the judgment was announced by Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sandeep Yadav at South Delhi's Saket District Court.
Life for the aged parents took a turn for the worse the minute news of their daughter's kidnapping was confirmed. However, they had some hope. However, the life was snuffed out of them when her body was found near Surajkund, Haryana, two days after she went missing.
Savita channeled her depression towards fighting to bring her daughter's killers to justice. On the other hand, her husband, a retired Health Ministry official, just turned silent. His eyes, which never lift up from the ground contain all the grief of his daughter's death. "At home, we hardly talk anymore. Mr. Ghosh sits on one end of the couch, and I on the other. Our house, like our lives is filled with silence," said Savita.
"I haven't slept all night. I kept tossing and turning. My heart was thumping so hard, I thought I was having a heart attack!," Savita exclaimed. Jigisha's mother jubilated with Madhvi Vishwanathan - Soumya's mother, telling her, "Didn't I tell you, they would get the death penalty."
The three convicts Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla and Baljeet Malik have also been accused of journalist Soumya Vishwanathan's murder. Here, in this case, they have been charged under the more stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime (MCOCA). "I am very happy for the Ghoshs'. I hope that the judgment in this case will help in getting me justice for my daughter," Madhvi added.
The Ghosh have rarely missed any date in court. "We don't go out anywhere. We just visit the hospital and court," Savita said. The Vishwanathan's have come for most important court dates in Jigisha's case - partly for themselves, and partly to support the Ghoshs.
Speaking to dna, Savita confessed that the couple had contemplated suicide days after Jigisha's body was found. "I remember, I deputed at least 3-4 constables to take care of them around the clock," said Atul Kumar, the then investigating officer (IO) of the case. "If left alone, they would have surely killed themselves," he added.
There is some solace to be found now that the case has concluded. "I am going to go to my temple and offer Sandesh to the gods," said Savita. "This is the first time I have seen them smile in the past seven years," said Kumar.
"Perhaps, now, they will now start living what's left of their lives," he added.
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