New Delhi: Days after journalist Soumya Vishwanathan's killers were sentenced to life imprisonment, her father, MK Vishwanathan, passed away on Saturday (December 9). Soumya's killers were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on November 25. Soumya's 82-year-old father was hospitalized just two days before the hearing after he suffered a heart attack.
As the five accused were sentenced to imprisonment, a family member logged into the proceedings online from the hospital to allow MK Vishwanathan to watch the proceedings from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The family informed the court that he was "groggy but had expressed the desire to watch the sentencing."
Twenty-six-year-old Soumya Vishwanathan was murdered in 2008, following which her parents, MK Vishwanathan and Madhavi Vishwanathan, fought a long legal battle to ensure justice for their daughter. Throughout the 14-year trial, both parents had been a fixture in the court, attending every hearing and closely watching the proceedings.
Although health concerns cropped up for the octogenarian, Vishwanathan continued to be a presence in the courtroom, with a walking stick in hand, and hoped for justice for their daughter. On the day the five accused were convicted, a relieved MK Vishwanathan had said that the matter has to "get to its logical conclusion."
He spoke against the delays in the sentencing, which happened after two adjournments, questioning why the legal administrative process was not being carried out smoothly.
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