It took two courts, eight judges and 15 years to pronounce the verdict in the Soumya Vishwanathan murder case.
All these years, her family did not back down despite the trial moving at a snail’s pace.
Her mother, Madhavi Vishwanathan, 74, said though the court order was favourable, the family “cannot forget that they lost their daughter and nothing can bring her back”.
Ms. Madhavi said the struggle to get justice for their daughter had taught them one thing — how to stay hopeful.
“Initially, it was a struggle to find a public prosecutor. It was only after meeting the Delhi Chief Minister that we got a Special Public Prosecutor. Had the legal system been a little more efficient, justice wouldn’t have been delayed,” Ms. Madhavi said.
The mother said she had lost hope, but their second daughter, who lives in Nairobi, had faith that the verdict would come in their favour.
“Last night, she texted my husband, giving us confidence that we would win the case,” Ms. Madhavi said at her Vasant Kunj flat after the verdict.
Looking at a file containing newspaper reports of the case, she said the family is not happy. “This is all we have of our daughter now. We keep looking back. Had she been alive today, she would’ve done wonders.”
“Our lives have been paralysed. My happiness was snatched away from me,” she added.
Remembering Soumya, her 81-year-old father M.K. Vishwanathan said she was a “happy-go-lucky girl”. She kept the entire family together, he added.
Published - October 19, 2023 12:20 am IST
