Delhi: Man acquitted in Chhawla gang-rape, murder case arrested for killing auto-rickshaw driver

New Delhi [India], February 4 : An auto driver named Anar Singh was stabbed to death by two of his passengers who tried to rob him on the intervening night of January 25-26, the police informed on Saturday.
The two accused have been identified as Pawan and Vinod, the latter of whom was one of three accused in the Chhawla rape case, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court.
DCP Dwarka M Harshawardhan told ANI that both the accused have been arrested.
"An auto driver was stabbed to death in the Dwarka area on the intervening night of 25-26 January by two accused passengers, Pawan and Vinod who tried to rob him. During the probe it was found Vinod was recently acquitted by Supreme Court in the Chhawla rape case," he said.
On the Chhawla rape case, DCP said that they have also filed a review petition in the Supreme Court.
"We strongly believe that there is sufficient ground for review of the decision, and we have also filed a review petition in the Supreme Court," he added.
The deceased's brother Arvind Pal said that if the accused is not given harsh punishment, then other criminals will also lose the fear of the law.
"We came to know that one of the accused who killed my brother had raped and killed a girl in Chhawla in 2012. But the court acquitted him, and then he killed my brother. I want to know, how was he released? I want him to be hanged", he said.
The accused's cousin Vinay demanded the government to support the deceased's children.
"I request the government to provide help to Anar Singh's children. He used to drive an auto for Rs 300 per day, used to live with the family on 7000 rent, and used to eat food only once a day. What will happen to their children now? The court will punish the accused but who will take care of the deceased's children?" he said.
Talking on the matter, the Chhwala rape victim's father told ANI that if the accused would have been hanged earlier, the victim auto driver would have been alive.
"My daughter was kidnapped, raped and killed. It's 11 years to the incident, but I am still fighting the case. The HC sentenced them to death but the SC acquitted them. If the accused who were to be hanged, will be released like this, it will embolden the criminals. If they would have been hanged, then the poor man wouldn't have got killed. I want the accused too be hanged as soon as possible," he said.
The Chhawla case pertains to the alleged abduction, gang-rape, and murder of a 19-year-old girl from Uttarakhand's Pauri by three men in the Chhawla area of the national capital's Dwarka on February 9, 2012.
In the said case, the Supreme Court, on November 7, 2022, acquitted the three accused, setting aside the Delhi High Court judgement awarding life sentences to the trio.