CBI has full sympathy with Priyadarshini Mattoo family but no review

CBI has full sympathy with the family of Priyadarshini Mattoo, but has decided not to file an appeal against the Supreme Court verdict commuting the death sentence to life term of accused Santosh Kumar who had raped and killed the 25-year-old.

"CL Mattoo, the father of the victim Priyadarshini Mattoo, had sent a letter dated October 21, 2010 which was received by CBI on October 28. This letter and the judgment of the Supreme Court have been legally examined in the CBI.

"It has been decided to accept the verdict of the Supreme Court and not to agitate the matter any further. CL Mattoo has been informed accordingly," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement today.

The CBI has full sympathy with the parents, other family members and friends of the deceased and fully appreciates the emotional trauma being faced by them, the spokesperson said.

Mattoo had earlier expressed his disappointment over the CBI's failure to file a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging the commutation of death sentence awarded to her killer Santosh Kumar Singh.

The last date for filing the review plea expired on November 5.

The father had alleged that it was a "pre-determined decision" by the CBI not to file the petition in the apex court.

"We feel disappointed... It has shocked us. After the verdict was pronounced by the judges of the Supreme Court, we were shocked about the lenient way they (CBI) have taken the case," Mattoo had said.

In the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case, the CBI had filed a chargesheet on April 11, 1996 against accused Santosh Kumar and the trial court acquitted him on December 3, 1999.

The CBI filed criminal appeal in the Delhi high court on February 29, 2000 against the acquittal order of the trial court and the Delhi high court on October 17, 2006 set aside the acquittal order of the trial court and sentenced the accused to death.

Singh filed an appeal in the Supreme Court which upheld the conviction of Santosh Kumar on all counts but commuted the sentence from death to life imprisonment in view of the mitigating circumstances.

The CBI spokesperson said the additional solicitor general appearing on behalf of CBI in the Supreme Court had earnestly pleaded for death penalty to the accused.

Santosh Kumar, a law student in the Delhi University, had raped and murdered Priyadarshini, a third-year law student, in January 1996.