Family wants death for acid attack
MUMBAI: Relatives of Preeti Rathi said on Tuesday that they want the death penalty for Ankur Panwar, who was found guilty of killing her with acid in 2013. A court convicted Panwar of murder on Tuesday and will hear arguments on his sentencing on Wednesday.
Rathi’s father Amarsingh said, “A man like him has no right to live in society and should be given the death penalty.” Amarsingh, who has cancer, had come to court with his son Hitesh. Amarsingh said Panwar confessed to his crime when he met him at the police station during his interrogation.
“We lived in the same colony (in Delhi) and his father and I worked for the same company, Bhakra Beas Management Board, though in different departments. We knew each other and the Panwars would visit our house. We didn’t imagine Ankur would do something thing like this,” Amarsingh added.
The government railway police had initially arrested Pawankumar Gahlot, another of the Rathis’ neighbours, for the crime. Amarsingh said, “When I realised that Gahlot was innocent, I myself went and gave an affidavit for his innocence and asked that he be discharged. But for Panwar, we realised that he was guilty. He confessed to me after his arrest.”
Panwar’s mother Kailash, who attended the court hearing, claimed her son has been framed. “My son has been falsely implicated as we are poor. We left no stone unturned and even approached the home minister and the CBI to take up the investigation, but all our prayers went unheard,” she said.
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