Testimonies of two brothers nailed a man whose life imprisonment was upheld by the Delhi High Court on Monday for raping and murdering their sister over two decades ago.
A bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal said the statements of the victim's two brothers, who were eye witnesses, were "consistent, corroborative and trustworthy" and there was nothing on record to contradict their testimonies.
"The testimonies of both these witnesses stood confirmed by the post-mortem report of the deceased," the bench said, adding that the scientific evidence also corroborates the prosecution's version.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place in December 1996, when the man, a neighbour, raped the girl and thereafter murdered her.
When the police arrived at the spot in Budh Vihar area in north west Delhi, it found the girl's semi naked body lying on a bed with injuries on her neck.
The victim's brothers had told the court that they along with their sister were sleeping at the house of the accused which was adjacent to theirs. The accused was sleeping in a separate room.
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They said they were staying in the accused's room which was taken on rent, and their parents were sleeping in their house which had been sold.
At night, they heard their sister's screams and saw that that the man was pressing the girl's throat with one hand and pressing a pillow on her face with another.
When they tried to stop the man, he threatened them and said that in case they raise alarm, he would kill both of them and thereafter, he left for his room.
The man had claimed before the trial court that he was innocent and was falsely implicated in the case.
The trial court had in March 2004, awarded him life imprisonment for the offences of rape, murder and criminal intimidation with a threat to cause death or grievous hurt.
The high court dismissed the man's appeal and said, "we find no infirmity in the judgment passed by the trial court and we see no reason to interfere with the same".
It directed the man to forthwith surrender before the trial court and said that a copy of the verdict be sent to the Superintendent of Tihar Jail.