Jyotish Prasad and Ashish Kumar, Taxi drivers by profession were awarded Death Penalty by a special court for raping and then killing 59-year-old Australian tourist Dawn Emilie Griggs. Griggs was found murdered in a deserted area here on March 17, 2004 within hours of landing at the IGI airport from Hong Kong.

“Both the convicts not only murdered a foreign tourist but also killed the trust of a foreign nation. The offence is stigma on the country, which believes in the policy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava‘ (guest is God)” Public prosecutor Vinod Kumar Sharma submitted before additional sessions judge, Vinod Kumar.

“We can wash the stigma by awarding maximum penalty that is the death sentence,” the prosecutor said, adding that the court should send a strong message that India deals sternly with persons who commit such a gruesome act.

However, with increase in rape crimes, recent gang rape in Faridabad and Pune, the law has to send very string signals and ensure speedy trial to stop these gruesome acts.

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