Priyadarshini Mattoo's father has said that the conviction of Santosh Singh is a step in the right direction and that the common man can now breathe with ease.

He was speaking soon after Singh was convicted on charges of raping and murdering his daughter 10 years ago.

"Finally justice has been delivered," an exuberant Chaman Lal Mattoo said over phone.

"I can't express myself. I have no words to express how I feel," Mattoo, who is now in Himachal Pradesh, said Mattoo, who broke down while giving his reaction.

Even as his family asked him to hang up -- Mattoo suffers from hypertension -- he added, "My daughter cannot come back. But at least, her soul will be in peace today."

Mattoo also thanked the Central Bureau of Investigation Director Vijay Shanker for taking personal interest in the case.

Indu Jalali, a close friend of Priyadarshani, who had been monitoring the case from the beginning, said she had no words to express her joy.

"Though delayed, at least justice has been done," she said.