Panchkula, August 22
A team of the Delhi police today questioned Madhu and Komal, wife and daughter of Mr Ravi Kant Sharma, the prime suspect in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, at their Sector 6 residence here.

The team was led by Assistant Commissioner, Police, Mr Gurbaksh Singh. It was accompanied by three police personnel of Panchkula, including a woman ASI, Ms Pushpa Devi. The team reached the Sharma’s residence at 12.05 p.m. and questioned the women for about 45 minutes in the verandah of the house. The policemen did not go inside the house. The waiting newsmen and TV cameramen were told to go outside the premises.

The Sharmas offered tea to the policemen but they politely refused. The Delhi police team said it might come again for questioning the women. When the departing ACP was asked by newsmen if the Sharmas had cooperated during the questioning, he refused to reply, saying that he had come for questioning and not for making any comments.

Later, Mrs Sharma told newsmen that the police did not question her about the involvement of the Union Communication Minister, Mr Pramod Mahajan, or the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, or any other politician as alleged by her earlier. She said the police asked her and Komal about the whereabouts of Mr Sharma, his close friends and when she had met him last. The police also asked her about the immovable assets of the family and the suspected hideouts of Mr Sharma.

She said she expressed her ignorance about the possible hideouts of Mr Sharma. She also refused to divulge the defence of Mr Sharma in the case at this stage. Alleging harassment by the police, Mrs Sharma said a close watch was being kept at the movements of her family members as well as friends. Now the police was tapping her phones.