Smile on Ankur Panwar’s face provokes Priti Rathi’s kin to attack him

Following the court verdict against him, Ankur Panwar seemed least perturbed and adopted a defiant attitude, even wearing a smile, which riled some of the people present there. In fact, a relative of Priti Rathi’s, who was present in the court, tried to attack Panwar as he was standing in the dock, but police personnel prevented him from carrying out the attack.

After special judge Anju Shende pronounced the death penalty and everyone, including the judge, started departing from the courtroom, one of Priti’s cousin sisters and her teenaged son came face-to-face with Panwar, who was standing in the dock. It was expected that the harsh penalty would bring forth some remorse in Panwar, but his defiant attitude, including the smile he sported, provoked Priti’s relatives.

Finding it difficult to bear Panwar’s behaviour, the cousin sister told him that he shouldn’t dare to smile since he had already been doomed. Panwar, though, remained unfazed. This further enraged the teenaged son and, in his anger, he tried to attack Panwar but was restrained by the police constables assigned to guard the convict. In the ensuing melee, the police slapped the youngster, after which he retreated and was escorted out of the courtroom. Panwar, meanwhile, shouted behind his attacker that a CBI investigation would reveal the truth.

According to some advocates, the incident would not have any bearing on the verdict since it was natural for relatives of victims to act aggressively if a culprit did not show remorse.