M A I N   N E W S

"Ravi Kant flees country"
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 2
The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on the bail application of Haryana cadre IPS officer R.K. Sharma after the police told the court that the accused had fled the country.

Special public prosecutor, S.K. Saxena told Mr Justice M.A. Khan today, “I certainly know Sharma is not in India.” Later, the prosecutor made a strong plea for dismissal of Sharma’s anticipatory bail petition, following which Mr Justice Khan reserved the order without specifying the date for pronouncement after completion of the arguments that stretched for three days.

Delhi cops on Sharma trail in Solan
Romesh Dutt

Solan, September 2
A team of Delhi Police headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police the Hemant Chopra, was in town today. The team was spotted closeted with Mr V.P. Saini, Junior Telecom Engineer, in charge of the local Telegraph Office, in his office at 2.30 pm today.

While Mr Saini refused to answer queries on the visit of the Delhi cops, his superiors said that the Delhi Police party had come seeking a copy of the telegram, allegedly sent by suspended IG Prisons (Haryana) R.K. Sharma to his DGP from the local telegraph office on August 12.

The General Manager, Telecom Circle, Mr Sapan Bose, when contacted, confirmed the purpose of the Delhi policemen’s visit but added that he was not sure whether he could authorised issuance of a copy of the telegram.

Mr Bose said that he had apprised his Chief General Manager, Mr N.S. Gill, stationed at Shimla, of the matter and had sought his instructions over the matter. Enquiries made from Mr Gill revealed that he himself was not clear about the rules governing such police requests and was getting the legal aspects examined. This was probably necessary as the purported sender of the telegram was a very senior IPS officer.

Mr Gill reportedly went away to attend a meeting relating to mobile telephones soon after this and could not be contacted after that. However, local General Manager Sapan Bose went to the Telegraph Office here sometimes around 5.30 pm. He was believed to have informed the ACP Hemant Chopra about his inability to deliver a copy of the telegram sought by the latter on some legal grounds.

It has been learnt that the Delhi police officials letter seeking a copy of the telegram had either not been issued by the competent authority or had not been addressed to the officer designated as competent under rules framed under the Indian Telegraph Act.

Mr Chopra and his team left for an undisclosed destination soon after that. Earlier, they reportedly tried to browbeat Mr Saini into parting with a copy of the telegram. The Criminal Procedure Code authorised any Investigating Officer to demand production of any document deemed by him as relating to the case under investigation.

The Delhi Police team’s inability to get a copy of the telegram showed them in poor light. They were supposed to know all rules governing obtaining copies from the telegraph offices. Since the handwriting on the telegram would have given vital clues they normally would have taken added precautions in obtaining a copy of the same. The fact of their not having done that definitely raised a question about their overall seriousness in the whole business.

Also today’s visit of the Delhi Police team here had thrown up another question. The telegram was booked here on August 12. How come that the handwriting on that particular telegram assumed importance only yesterday full 21 days after the telegram was known to have been booked. The Delhi Police could not claim that the Haryana Police did not inform them about the telegram seeking extension of leave. 

Cops question driver of Ravi Kant
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 2
The Delhi police today questioned the driver of IG Ravi Kant Sharma, outside the latter’s Sector 6 residence here this evening.

The driver, Jai Singh, was reportedly quizzed about the time that he had been with the Haryana cop, who is prime accused in Shivani Bhatnagar murder case. The police team led by Inspector K.P. Singh, was camping in the township since morning.

Amidst rumours that the IG might surrender here, following a decision on his bail application before the Delhi High Court today, the police team had stationed itself outside Panchkula district courts. They also made their presence felt outside the residence of the officer.