Charge sheet filed in journalist Soumya's murder

New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) Delhi Police Friday filed a charge sheet against four men accused of murdering journalist Soumya Vishwanathan.

A 500-page charge sheet against Ajay Sethi, Baljeet Singh Malik, Amit Shukla and Ajay Kumar, accused of shooting the scribe, was filed in a Delhi court.

The charge sheet has been filed under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA).

The police Thursday approached the Delhi court, seeking an extension of 30 days for concluding the probe and file the charge sheet.

Additional Sessions Judge S.K. Sarvaria, however, Friday allowed public prosecutor Rajeev Mohan to withdraw the plea and took the charge sheet into the records.

The court put up the matter for July 2.

Counsel for the accused who was preparing to appeal for a bail plea was taken by surprise when the prosecution filed the charge sheet.

'Yesterday, police wanted a month's time to conclude the probe on the ground that they had to verify so many new things which have emerged during the probe. Within a few hours, the probe is over and nearly 500-page charge sheet is filed in the court,' defence counsel Amit Kumar said.

Vishwanathan, 25, was found dead in her car in Vasant Kunj area of south Delhi around 3.30 a.m. Sep 30, 2008. She was murdered while returning from work to her home in Sector-C of Vasant Kunj.