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Man gets life in jail for raping, killing 81-year-old ex-journo

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain awarded rigorous imprisonment (RI) to Neeraj Safi and also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000

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A city court on Tuesday sentenced a 22-year-old man to life imprisonment for the "brutal" and "diabolic" rape and murder of an 81-year-old former journalist in the national Capital in 2014.

Accused Neeraj Safi, a domestic help, worked for the victim, who had been living alone in Greater Kailash (GK) II since 2005, after the death of her husband, a former Editor with the United News of India (UNI). The incident took place on September 20, 2014.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain awarded rigorous imprisonment (RI) to Safi and also imposed a fine of Rs10,000. "The facts and the circumstances show that the accused raped the victim, strangulated her to death, and then set her body on fire. He then caused the evidence of the offence to disappear with an intention to screen himself from legal prosecution," the court said.

In addition, Safi was awarded 10-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs5,000 for raping the octogenarian, and three-year RI with a fine of Rs3,000 for destruction of evidence. The convict had set the victim's body and a mattress on fire using kerosene oil.

While delivering the judgment, the court stated: "The convict raped and murdered his master, aged 81 years, who used to live alone. He betrayed her trust and committed a heinous crime." the judge said. The court added that all the sentences will run concurrently.

Earlier, the accused had claimed that the victim died in a blaze caused by a short circuit. Police, however, found a dupatta wrapped around the victim's neck, which hinted at foul play. The teams from CFSL, CBI, and Delhi Fire Services also suggested that both the bed and the body were set on fire deliberately. Safi later broke down during interrogation and confessed to the crime.

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