A city court on Monday ordered framing of charges under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) against four accused, allegedly involved in the murder of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan.
Finding sufficient evidence to invoke MCOCA against the four accused, Baljeet Singh Malik, Ajay Sethi, Amit Shukla, and Ajay Kumar, Saket court additional sessions judge (ASJ) R. Kiran Nath ordered framing of charges under various sections of MCOCA including 3 (2), 3 (5) and 3 (1) (1).
Talking to this newspaper over phone, Amit Kumar, the lawyer appearing for the accused Baljeet Singh Malik, Amit Shukla, and Ajay Kumar said, “The accused persons have not committed any organised crime for which the investigating agency has invoked the charges under MCOCA. The Delhi police has misused the provisions of MCOCA.”
Mr Kumar further said that he will move the Delhi high court challenging the order of the ASJ.
The court had earlier invoked the stringent MCOCA on prime accused Ravi Kapoor in the case.
The police, in its chargesheet filed in 2009, charged Kapoor and other accused Baljeet, Ajay Sethi, Amit, and Ajay Kumar, under various provisions of the IPC dealing with murder, destruction of evidence, forgery and criminal conspiracy. Soumya was shot while driving to her Vasant Kunj residence on September 30, 2008.