NEW DELHI: A shocking murder case that sent tremors through the capital, the murder case of Malayali journalist Soumya Viswanathan, which had remained unsolved for over a decade, has finally been closed. Here's how a hand tattoo, a wireless set and CCTV footage helped Delhi police crack the case.

Soumya Viswanathan met a brutal end on September 30, 2008, when the clock struck 3:30 am. That fateful night, she was driving back to her home in Vasant Kunj, Delhi after work. The accused, following in another car, ambushed her vehicle on Nelson Mandela Marg. They shot Soumya and robbed her of her belongings.

The long-awaited verdict was delivered by the Saket court in Delhi, declaring Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljit Malik, Ajay Sethi, and Ajay Kumar guilty in the case.

In 2009 a year after Soumya's murder, Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, and Baljit Malik were arrested in another murder case. Following the arrest, the accused confessed to their involvement in Soumya's murder in 2008. This revelation led to the arrest of the rest of the accused in the case.

In March 2009, they brutally murdered IT employee Jigisha Ghosh, whose case shared eerie similarities with Soumya's.

The prime factors that played a crucial role in unravelling the case were the tattoo on one of the assailants' hands, a stolen wireless set from a police officer, and crucial CCTV footage.

Jigisha Ghosh, a young professional, met her untimely end on March 18, 2009, in the Suraj Kund area of Faridabad. Days later, the police found CCTV footage showing the accused using Jigisha's debit card for shopping. This footage revealed the tattoo on one of the accused's hands but also exposed another individual with a stolen wireless set.

The tattoo, now identified as Baljit Malik's, and the stolen wireless set snatched by Ravi Kapoor from a police officer provided the vital links connecting the accused to the murder. The revelation of these key pieces of evidence paved the way for the arrests of Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, and Baljit Malik.

The recent court verdict has offered a glimmer of solace for the victims' families, as Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljit Malik, Ajay Sethi, and Ajay Kumar have been convicted in both cases.

As the accused now await sentencing, Soumya Viswanathan's mother is calling for the most severe sentences, including rigorous imprisonment for life, to send a message that such heinous crimes should never be repeated.