New Delhi: Four men, including two brothers were convicted of three murders in Delhi’s Ashok Vihar locality almost thirteen years ago. The court convicted Ankit Chaudhary for killing his sister Monika and husband Kuldeep in Ashok Vihar. Monika’s body was found in pool of blood while Kuldeep’s body was recovered from a parked car. The family did not approve the love marriage as the court called out the “illusionary honour” and “hatred” behind the murder. The court also convicted Mandeep (another person from same community) for killing his sister Shobha for going against the wishes of the family and marrying.

What we know of the double-murder that rocked Ashok Vihar over a decade ago

• Four accused Ankit Chaudhary, Mandeep Nagar, Nakul Khari and Rakesh Nagar alias Sintu convicted of murder.
• Victims in the case were identified as Kuldeep, Monika (Ankit Chaudhary’s sister) and Shobha (Mandeep’s sister)
• Sections imposed – Murder, criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, arms act, etc

Ashok Vihar Murders: How things unfolded

• In July 2006, Kuldeep Singh, a Rajput, married his childhood love, Monika, who belongs to the gujjar community.
• Both were residents of Wazirpur village in northwest Delhi
• The family and other people who came to know about it felt humiliated and dishonoured. For safety, Kuldeep and Monika started living in Uttam Nagar, a place slightly away and relatively safer from her village.
• In 2010, Shobha and another girl from the village eloped with their boyfriends. Though SHibha returned after some time, the residents felt thery were following in the footsteps of Monika.
• One of the accused, Ankit, told Kuldeep at the time he would have to pay the price for starting the culture of love marriages in the village.
• On June 0, 2010 Monika was found dead at her rented accomodation. Her husband’s body was found inside a car in the evening.