On Monday, a Delhi Court postponed the hearing for the sentencing of three individuals found guilty of the murder of professional photographer Ankit Saxena in February 2018, following an interfaith love affair. The court scheduled the next session for arguments on January 31.

On December 23, 2023, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sunil Kumar Sharma from Tis Hazari Court delivered a verdict, convicting Akbar Ali and Shahnaj Begum, the parents of Ankit Saxena's girlfriend Shehzadi, along with maternal uncle Mohammad Salim, in connection with the murder case.

On February 1, 2018, Ankit Saxena met a tragic end when he was fatally stabbed in broad daylight. The assailants were the family members of his female companion, with whom he had been in a relationship for three years. The woman's family vehemently opposed the relationship, pointing to disparities in their respective communities as the reason for their strong disapproval.

The Court found the parents of the female friend, Akbar Ali and Shahnaj Begum, along with the maternal uncle, Mohammad Salim, guilty under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention). In addition, Shahnaj Begum was convicted of an additional charge under Section 323 of the IPC for voluntarily causing harm.

In its 121-page judgment announced on December 23, 2023, the court reached the conclusion that the prosecution successfully established, beyond reasonable doubt, that all the accused, driven by a shared intention, were responsible for the murder of Ankit Saxena.

The court accepted the prosecution's narrative regarding the motive, affirming that the family members expressed dissatisfaction with the romantic involvement between their daughter and the deceased.

Disregarding the defense counsel's contention regarding the credibility of prosecution witnesses, the court deemed their testimonies reliable, noting consistency and corroboration with other pieces of evidence.

The court noted the woman's deposition, affirming the friendship between Ankit and her and their regular telephonic conversations. It emphasized that Ankit came to her rescue on the day of the incident, reflecting the depth of their friendship. Moreover, the court emphasized that the pertinent witnesses not only affirmed that the deceased was murdered by all the accused individuals by slitting his throat with a knife but also provided detailed testimonies about the sequence of events. This included the circumstances leading to the altercation, the specific language, words, and phrases employed by the accused persons, the manner in which they apprehended or captured the deceased, and the precise method by which the accused persons used a knife to cut the throat of the deceased.