New Delhi, August 18
Pragati Sharma, daughter of prime accused in Shivani Bhatnagar murder case R.K. Sharma, today said she wanted to meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to seek his intervention as the Delhi police was “framing” her father in the case.
Pragati, who arrived here from Panchkula yesterday, said she had sought an appointment with Mr Vajpayee and expected a positive response from him.
A similar plea by Sharma’s wife Madhu had been turned down earlier by the Prime Minister’s Office which suggested that he should surrender and join investigations.
Pragati said she would convey to the Prime Minister that her father had no faith in the Delhi police and he was ready to join probe if “some protection” is assured to him.
“We fear that if he surrenders to the Delhi police, he will be tortured and made to do things according to their desire,” she said, asserting that he would never surrender before the Delhi police.
Alleging that “somebody” was pressurising the Delhi police to frame him, Pragati demanded a CBI probe into the murder.
She said even if the case is with the Delhi police, her father should be sent to judicial custody rather than police custody to “escape torture”.
Meanwhile, the Delhi police has arrested another suspect from Haryana in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.
He was identified as Ved and being brought to Delhi on transit remand from Gurgaon. He could be a significant link in the case. The suspect had been hiding in the Gurgaon area for more than a week. The interrogation of Satya Parkash led to the arrest of the fourth person. He is suspected to be involved in the conspiracy of Shivani’s murder.
Following his arrest, senior officers of the police had a day-long
meeting today to scrutinise the evidences the police had collected. The fourth suspect is likely to be produced before the court tomorrow. The Crime Branch had arrested another suspect Satya Prakash from near a restaurant in old Faridabad yesterday. The Crime Branch had also specific information about the presence of prime suspect and Haryana Inspector-General of Police Ravi Kant Sharma in Gurgaon and had sent a team to trace him.
Prakash’s arrest was the third in the case. Sri Bhagwan Sharma was the first one to be arrested on July 30. Another suspect Pradeep Sharma was arrested two days later.
Investigation by the Delhi police revealed the involvement of at least five persons in the case.
Satya
Prakash,
accused in the Shivani murder case, being produced in a court in New Delhi on Sunday.
— PTI photo
In video (28k, 56k) |
The police said the murder was executed by Pradeep and an unnamed man, while Sri Bhagwan waited in the car outside the Nav Kunj Apartment.
The finer points of the conspiracy were worked out by R.K. Sharma in the company of Satya Prakash, the police added.
Meanwhile, the third accused arrested by the Delhi police in connection with the murder was today remanded in police custody for 11 days by a local court.
Metropolitan Magistrate Raj Kapoor remanded the accused after special public prosecutor S.K. Saxena sought his custody for the purpose of interrogation and recovery of three material objects — camera, chain and a mobile phone.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan on Sunday lashed out at those who have demanded that he should undergo a DNA test in connection with the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.
Talking to newspersons here, he said, “I am personally hurt over the incident. How can I do a DNA test for somebody’s child?,” he asked.
“Take a litre of my blood and go on conducting the DNA test,” Mr Mahajan said, referring to the demand made by members of Haryana IPS officer Ravi Kant Sharma’s family, the prime suspect in the case.
Stating that he was willing to cooperate with any sort of inquiry, the minister added that wild allegations made against somebody would only detract from the real issue “The most important thing is to find out who murdered the journalist.”
Asked whether he would file a defamation suit against those who were levelling charges against him, Mr Mahajan said his advocates were examining all such possibilities.
