Fenil Goyani

INDIA: FENIL GOYANI SENTENCED TO DEATH IN GRISHMA VEKARIYA MURDER CASE

May 12, 2022:

The Surat sessions court on 5 May 2022 awarded death sentence to Fenil Goyani (20) for the murder of 21-year-old college student Grishma Vekariya outside her house at Pasodara area of Surat in February.
Surat’s Principal Sessions and District Judge Vimal Kanaiyalal Vyas who termed the case as “rarest of the rare” said strict punishment was needed to deter people from committing such crimes against women.
The judge noted that like Ajmal Kasab, one of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November 2008, Goyani exhibited cruelty and showed no remorse during the trial. The verdict also noted that the way Goyari slit Vekariya’s throat was akin to a butcher slaughtering animals.
The crime took place on February 12 when Goyani slit the throat of Grishma on February 12 in front of her family members and neighbours after stabbing her twice over turning down his proposal.
In videos that went viral, he was also seen stabbing her brother and uncle when they tried to rescue her. Goyani allegedly murdered Grishma for refusing to be in a relationship with him.
Saying that in his 28 years’ career he never faced such a case, judge Vyas said Grishma’s fate was akin to that of the victim of the 2012 Delhi gangrape.
Addressing media persons following the pronouncement of the verdict, Public prosecutor Nayan Sukhadwala said the court found Goyani guilty of IPC sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) for injuring two others apart from Grishma Vekariya and the remaining offences that Goyani was charged under.
“The court observed that the incident was pre-planned and created fear in the minds of the public in the way it was committed,” added Sukhadwala.
Vekariya’s parents as well as Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi welcomed the verdict.
The case was committed to the Surat sessions court where a speedy trial was conducted, resulting in conviction and sentencing less than three months after the crime.