The Supreme Court on Monday accepted a plea challenging the acquittal of the accused in the sensational case of rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Nainital in 2012.

The plea challenges the Uttarakhand High Court's verdict which reversed the decision of a lower court. The High Court acquitted the accused Deepak Arya, who was declared 'guilty' by a lower court in 2014.

A lower court in Nainital had awarded death penalty to the accused after convicting him under 376 (rape) and 302 (murder) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In 2014, Deepak moved the Uttarakhand High Court and challenged the sessions court's order. In 2015, the High Court acquitted him due to lack of evidence against him. Following which, Naveen Ram, the father of the victim, moved the apex court challenging the High Court's order.

"I want justice from the Apex Court. My daughter was raped and murdered. I want the court to award the death penalty or life imprisonment to Deepak. It is the court's duty to serve justice to my daughter," Naveen told ANI.

Stressing that the Supreme Court should hear the matter urgently as Naveen has not got justice yet, former Additional Advocate General (AAG) in Uttarakhand government and senior Supreme Court lawyer Mukesh Kumar Giri said: "It cannot be just the difference of judgment that Uttarakhand's lower court had sentenced Deepak to death and the High Court acquitted him.

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