• Journalist Soumya Vishwanathan's father dies days after her killers get life sentence

    National
    Journalist Soumya Vishwanathan's father dies days after her killers get life sentence
    He was "groggy but had expressed the desire to watch the sentencing," the family told the court.

    Digital Desk: Soumya Vishwanathan's father, MK Vishwanathan, passed away on Saturday (December 9), a few days after her killers were given life sentences.

    On November 25, the murderers of Soumya were found guilty and given a life sentence. Just two days before the hearing, Soumya's 82-year-old father had a heart attack and was admitted to the hospital.

    A family member watched the proceedings from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) online as the five defendants were given prison sentences. MK Vishwanathan was able to see the proceedings from the hospital.

    He was "groggy but had expressed the desire to watch the sentencing," the family told the court.

    Following the 2008 murder of 26-year-old Soumya Vishwanathan, her parents, MK and Madhavi Vishwanathan, engaged in a protracted court struggle to secure justice for their daughter.

    Both parents had been regular attendees in court and keen observers of the proceedings throughout the whole 14-year trial.
    Despite health issues, the octagenarian Vishwanathan remained a constant in the courtroom, holding a walking stick and hoping for their daughter's justice.

    A relieved MK Vishwanathan had stated that the case needed to "go to its logical conclusion" on the day the five defendants were found guilty.

    He questioned why the legal administrative procedure was not operating efficiently and spoke out against the delays in the sentence, which occurred following two adjournments.