Delhi Court awards death sentence to Shahid, Akram, and Rafat Ali in 2015 rape and triple murder case

On Tuesday, September 5, the Tis Hazari Court in the national capital awarded a death sentence to three individuals named Shahid, Akram, and Rafat Ali alias Manzoor Ali in a 2015 case that pertained to robbery, criminal conspiracy, rape and triple murder. This matter pertains to the area of Khyala police station in West Delhi.

While the death penalty was awarded for their involvement in the heinous crimes of murder and criminal conspiracy, the court also handed over life imprisonment for their roles in the gang rape and robbery. Each of the convicts was also fined Rs 35,000.

According to reports, the convicts had first killed the woman with a screwdriver and then strangulated her. Notably, one of the convicts Mohammad Akram used to refer to the deceased woman as his sister. After killing the woman, they reportedly killed her two children aged 7 and 6 and then robbed the house.

The court while announcing the quantum of punishment, said that the convicts were aware that the woman’s husband had gone to Jaipur and they executed the dastardly conspiracy by breaching the woman’s trust.

The police had registered an FIR against the convicts in 2015 based on a complaint filed by the husband of the deceased. He said in his complaint that when he returned home he discovered his wife and two children dead on the second floor of their house in Raghubir Nagar, Delhi. The door had been latched from the outside, and his wife’s neck was tied with a dupatta, while his daughter’s neck was tied with a handkerchief. The complaint reportedly mentioned missing jewellery and money.

Four persons, namely Shahid, Akram, and Rafat Ali alias Manzoor Ali and a minor (juvenile), were initially booked on the charges of criminal conspiracy and murder. Based on the post-mortem report of the deceased woman, the police added Section 376 (rape) of IPC in the FIR filed against the trio.

The probe first led to the arrest of the accused, Shahid and Akram on October 4, 2015, from a park near Raghuveer Nagar. They were found with incriminating evidence in their possession, including mobile phones and SIM cards. During interrogation, Shahid and Akram confessed to raping and killing the woman and killing her two children. They also named Rafat Ali as their accomplice, after which the police nabbed Ali and the juvenile involved in the case from Aligarh.

On August 22, 2023, the three accused were convicted based on the strong chain of evidence the police found linking them to the gruesome incident.

The judge stated, “There is a constant chain of evidence when the three accused were seen going upstairs to the place of the incident, and thereafter, the heinous crime of three murders, one rape, and robbery came to light.”

The court emphasised that the accused had conspired in the case, and this was substantiated by call records and the recoveries made following disclosure statements. According to the records, the accused were in contact before, during, and after the crime was committed, confirming their close involvement.

“Therefore, though no content of the calls is on record, their call records are showing very unusual conduct, indicating intensely their involvement in the commission of the offence of three murders, rape, and robbery,” the judge said.

Today, the court announced the quantum of punishment for the three convicts. Special Fast Track Court Judge Aanchal of Tis Hazari Court awarded the death sentence to Shahid, Akram and Rafat Ali alias Manzoor Ali for the offence under section 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).