Daily News & Analysis

New Delhi, July 24: Celebrities, relatives and friends of Priyadarshini Mattoo on Sunday joined hundreds across the country and sought justice 10 years after she was raped and murdered allegedly by an IPS officer's son who was acquitted in the case.

A large number of people, including actor Anupam Kher, Rajya Sabha MP Maneka Gandhi and motivational guru Shiv Khera, took part in a peace march in New Delhi demanding retrial.

Hundreds of people also took part in similar protests in Jammu, Mumbai and Pune.

Priyadarshini Mattoo was raped and murdered in 1996 allegedly by Santosh Kumar Singh, son of an IPS officer.

Maneka Gandhi said: "This issue will definitely be raised in Parliament. I hope this is just the beginning for others to get justice. I hope the courts will notice this and do justice to the dead woman who was brutally murdered," she said.

Nancy Ganju who, along with husband Ashok Ganju, traveled all the way from Chandigarh to participate in this rally, said: "I am with this cause and I want justice for Priyadarshani just as I would want justice for my daughter."

Dr Madan Mohan, once a neighbour of Priyadarshani, said that though his son (12 at that time) had seen a man running away on a motorcycle after the incident, the police chose not to speak to him or seek his evidence.

"Though we lived barely 25 meters from her house in Sector 10D in Vasant Kunj, we learnt about the murder only the next day. Shoddy investigation led to the acquittal of the accused," he said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation's appeal against the acquittal is now with the Delhi high court.