Faridabad: 2 get life term in Nikita Tomar murder

Five months after 20-year-old Nikita Tomar, a third-year B.Com student, was shot dead outside her college in Faridabad, a former classmate who had been pressuring her to marry him and his friend have been sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder.

Advocate Adal Singh Rawat, who is assisting Public Prosecutor S K Parmar in the case, said Tauseef, Nikita’s former classmate, and Rehaan have been sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20,000 each under IPC section 302 read with section 34. Under Section 366 read with sections 511 and 34 IPC, the accused have been sentenced to five-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000 each; and under section 120B, they have been sentenced to five years in jail and a fine of Rs 2,000.

Tauseef has also been convicted under the Arms Act and sentenced to four-year imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 2,000. The sentences will run concurrently, and the period already spent by the convicts in custody will be set off against the sentences.

Nikita’s father, Mool Chand Tomar said they plan to approach the High Court: “We respect the verdict of the court, but we are not satisfied with it. We wanted the accused to hang so that anyone who considers such a crime in the future thinks twice. We will fight this battle right up to the Supreme Court if we have to.”

Advocate Rawat also said: “Once we receive the judgement and go through it, we will appeal in the High Court and go up to the Supreme Court if required.”

Haryana’s Home Minister Anil Vij reiterated this: “We had arrested the accused within 24 hours of the crime and, within 11 days, we had filed a 700-page chargesheet. The matter was in a fast-track court and, within five months, the court pronounced the sentence. We are going through the judgment and will appeal in the High Court for death penalty for the accused.”

The incident took place on October 26 last year outside Aggarwal College in Faridabad. It was captured on a CCTV camera, with footage showing Tauseef trying to force Nikita into a car at gunpoint. As he opened the rear door, Nikita managed to free herself and ran behind a friend. In the footage, even as Tauseef followed Nikita, Rehaan could be seen grabbing his arm and trying to lead him into the car before the former opened fire at Nikita. The two men then fled the spot in their vehicle.

Police investigation had revealed that Tauseef and Nikita had been classmates in school, and he had been pressuring her to marry him for several years. He had also abducted her in 2018 and taken her to his home, but police had rescued her within hours. An FIR had been registered but was withdrawn after Tauseef’s family assured Nikita’s relatives that the incident would not be repeated.