Chhawla Rape-Murder Case: SC Rejects Review Pleas Against Acquittal Of 3 Accused

The Supreme Court recently rejected the review plea filed by the Delhi Police against the acquittal of all three accused in connection with the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman in Delhi’s Chhawla area in 2012.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice SR Bhat, and Justice Bela Trivedi dismissed the review petitions. The court stated that “After having considered the judgment and other documents on record, we do not find any error either factual or legal, apparent on the face of record requiring review of the aforestated judgment passed by this Court.”

The Supreme Court noted as it dismissed the review petitions “Even if an event, which has no nexus to the instant case had taken place subsequent to the pronouncement of the judgment that would not be a ground to entertain the review petitions.”

The Delhi Police filed a review plea after one of the convicts, Vinod, was arrested in a robbery-murder case in January 2023 again. Police stated that this incident shows that the accused is a “hardened habitual criminal” and should not have been granted relief.

However, the court quashed the review plea and dismissed the review petitions filed by the victim’s father and several NGOs.