New Delhi, August 20
Failing to secure anticipatory bail in a Panchkula court and Delhi High Court, yet another bail application of senior IPS officer R.K. Sharma came before the Delhi High Court today. The court issued a notice to the prosecution returnable by August 26 on the anticipatory bail application of R.K. Sharma, the main accused in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.
Mr Justice M.A. Khan issued the notice to the Special Prosecutor S.K. Saxena and the case will now come up for hearing on Monday when both sides will be heard regarding the murder of Indian Express Principal Correspondent Shivani Bhatnagar on January 23, 1999.
In his plea, R.K. Sharma had said since he was cooperating with the officials in investigating the case, there was no need to issue arrest warrants against him. His three previous attempts to get pre-arrest (interim) or anticipatory bail had failed in Panchkula and Delhi courts.
He had moved the Delhi High Court seeking the bail on the ground that there was no need for his custodial interrogation as he had always “cooperated in the investigation but failed to get an anticipatory bail both from a Panchkula court on August 10 and a Delhi court on August 13.
The Panchkula court had rejected his plea on the ground that only the court at the place where the crime was committed was competent to grant bail or any other relief.
The Delhi court, while denying the bail, has said the evidence so far points an accusing finger at R.K. Sharma and a thorough interrogation was required to “unravel the conspiracy”.
Challenging a lower court order here rejecting his bail petition, he said, “The Additional Sessions Judge grossly erred in appreciating both law and the facts in the case while dismissing his application on August 13”.
In his petition, filed by his counsel Dinesh Mathur, R.K. Sharma said he was “being falsely implicated and had been made a scapegoat by those who belong to the higher echelons of the society
and are real culprits in the present case.” Questioning the launching of a manhunt against him by the police after the reported confession of Bhagwan, in which his name is said to be mentioned, he said. “The confession has been obtained by use of force and beatings and cannot be read against him under law at any stage.”
Meanwhile, Ms Komal Sharma, elder daughter of R.K. Sharma today approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with a fresh petition seeking “protection” for herself, mother and sister.
BHUBANESWAR: A Delhi police team raided a house in the Nayapalli area of the Orissa capital in search of elusive senior IPS officer Ravi Kant Sharma, prime suspect in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, official sources said on Tuesday.
The team, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police K. Singh, raided the residence of a senior Union Government officer posted here with the assistance of the local police during the past two days, the sources said.
Accordingly to the UNI, the Delhi police and the Orissa police on Tuesday denied that any raid had been carried out in Bhubaneswar.
SP A.K. Sarangi, under whose jurisdiction the Nayapalli area of the city falls, denied that any raid in a house in Nayapalli had been carried out. Similarly, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Qamar Ahmed also dismissed reports about any such raid.
