New Delhi: The conviction of Santosh Kumar Singh for the rape and murder of Priyadarshini Mattoo on Tuesday meant - for many - the restoration of faith in the judicial system.
"Finally justice has been delivered," said an exuburent Chaman Lal Mattoo on Tuesday after he heard of the conviction of Santosh Singh for raping and killing his daughter Priyadarshini Mattoo 10 years ago.
"I can't express myself. I have no words to express how I feel," Mattoo, who is in Himachal Pradesh, said on phone.
"Justice has been done. Common people in the country can now breathe with ease. This is a step in the right direction," said Mattoo. He added, "My daughter cannot come back. But at least, her soul will be in peace today."
Mattoo thanked CBI Director Vijay Shanker for taking personal interest in the case.
Indu Jalali, a close friend of Priyadarshini, who had been monitoring the case from the beginning, said she had no words to express her joy that justice had finally been done. "Though delayed, at least justice has been done," she said.
Santosh Singh, son of a former IPS officer, had been acquitted by a lower court in 1999 during the trial of the case related to the brutal rape and murder of Priyadarshini.
The CBI's review petition came up for hearing in August in the Delhi High Court, which on Tuesday convicted Santosh for both rape and murder.
For Priyadarshini's brother Hemant, who lives in New York, it was hope regained in the Indian judicial system.
"To be honest. I had lost hope, the next day of the crime, because of the way it (investigation in the case) was handled....the way they (investigators) were going around doing the business. I had lost hope," said Hemant.
He said after the media's attention and support from other quarters "I have been more hopeful than I was on day two of the crime," he added.
A victory of judicial system: friends
The conviction of Santosh Kumar Singh on Tuesday was hailed as a "victory of the judicial system".
"Today is the victory of Indian Judicial System and victory of the entire media, and the entire nation who stood behind us in this fight against injustice," said Indu Jalali, a childhood friend of Priyadarshini.
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Jalali, along with other friends of Priyadarshini and Mattoo family, had started a campaign to garner support for the retrial in the sensational rape and murder case of the law student in 1996.
"We have faith in judiciary and this faith has increased 100 per cent. We never expected such a great response from judiciary as well as from the CBI," said Adityaraj Kaul, another member of the 'Justice for Priyadarshini' campaign.
"I am very happy. Santosh is found guilty on both the accounts - rape and murder. I know the family very well. Priyadarshini belonged to a very respectable family and it has gone through a very bad phase in last ten years by not receiving justice. Finally, they have something to feel good about," said Agnisheker, a family friend and a supporter of the campaign.
The verdict is a benchmark: CBI director
Terming the conviction of Santosh Singh as a "benchmark" for CBI officials and trial courts, CBI Director Vijay Shanker said the verdict would go a long way in restoring the people's faith in the criminal justice system.
"The CBI welcomes the long-awaited judgement that the Delhi High Court gave today. We have pressed for the maximum punishment for the guilty and we will strive for the death penalty for him," Shanker said.
Shanker had made it a personal endevaour to ensure speedy justice in the Mattoo case immediately after taking over as CBI director. "The stand of the CBI has finally been vindicated," he said.
During a meeting Priyadarshini's father Chaman Lal Mattoo in August, the CBI director had given an assurance that everything would be done for speedy justice.
"We in the CBI perceive that this judgement shall be applicable as a benchmark for all investigating officers of the CBI as well as trial courts. We also believe that today's judgement will go a long way in restoring the faith of citizens in the criminal justice system," Shanker said.
"After all the method of investigation by the CBI has been upheld by the Delhi High Court," he said. Though satisfied with the High Court's verdict, Shanker had some regrets.
"If the CBI's appeal had come up for an early hearing, the prolonged agony of the Mattoo family would have been minimised. "My heart goes to the Mattoo family," he said.
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