M.K. Vishwanathan, the father of the slain 27-year-old TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan, the first Prosecution Witness in the case, deposed before a city court on Monday.
Testifying in the Saket court of additional sessions judge (ASJ) R. Kiran Nath, Mr Vishwanathan said that on September 29, 2008, Soumya told him that she would come late as she has to assist her colleagues in giving necessary inputs as blasts had occurred in Maharashtra and Gujarat. She told him that she would reach home at around 3.15 am,
“At around 3 am, when I talked to her, she said that she was in Chanakyapuri and would reach home within 15 minutes. But, when she did not come, I called her up at 3.30 am, but the phone was unanswered,” Mr Vishwanathan deposed before the court.
“At around 4 am, I called her up again but a police constable picked up the phone and said that it seemed that an accident had taken place and his daughter had been killed. He asked me to reach Vasant Vihar, where Soumya was found dead, Mr Vishwanathan testified.
Cross-examining Mr Vishwanathan, Amit Kumar, the defence lawyer in the case, pointed out that how come the police handed over the belongings of Soumya to her father soon after the incident. The itinerary should have been taken by the police making the same as case property. It weakened the case on the part of the prosecution.
After recording of the statements of Mr Vishwanathan, the ASJ has posted the matter for prosecution evidence on August 20.
Meanwhile, Mr Vishwanathan on Monday moved an application requesting the court to expedite the case as it has been on since last three years. The court, after taking the application into record, said, it might take a step on his plea.