New Delhi, September 9
A Delhi court today gave permission to the Delhi police to start the procedure to declare Ravi Kant Sharma proclaimed offender and “attach” his property. Suspended Haryana IG Sharma is the prime suspect in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dilbagh Singh Poonia permitted the Delhi police to start the procedure of attachment for the property of Ravi Kant Sharma under Sections 82 and 83 of CrPC and declare him a proclaimed offender as he has been evading the police arrest for more than one month. The order was given after an affidavit was filed by investigating officer of the case Inder Singh in the Karkardooma court today.
In the affidavit, the IO said that the suspect had been evading police arrest from one month. The police conducted raids at suspected hideouts in Chandigarh,
opportunity of custodial interrogation will certainly hamper the investigation in henious crimes, which will not be in public interest,” the court said.“Interrogation of petitioner armed with pre-arrest protection regarding the peculiar circumstance will become a ritual if an accused was granted bail even when facing non-bailable arrest warrant”.
The court said sequence of events which took place after arrest of co-accused Shri Bhagwan, Satya Prakash and Pradeep Sharma showed that the petitioner had made himself “totally untraceable.”
It said he remained “elusive” and was probably “safe” wherever he was hiding.
The court said the conduct of an accused “becomes material” in such henious crimes. “He is untraceable despite disciplinary action and non-bailable arrest warrant against him”. It said “he is a deemed absconder.”
Mr Justice Khan said the courts would be “reluctant” to come to aid and rescue of such a person involved in henious crime. There was a strong possibility of the accused not making himself available for the trial looking at his conduct, the court observed.
Immediately after the rejection of bail petition by the Delhi High Court, a city court today allowed the police to initiate proceedings against Sharma to declare him a proclaimed offender (PO).
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dilbag Singh allowed the crime branch’s application to initiate proceedings under Sections 82 and 83 of the Cr. Pc. to declare Sharma a PO in the case. He has been evading arrest for over a month.
The police sought to initiate proceedings against Sharma on the ground that the non-bailable warrants issued against him could not be executed as he was untraceable and on the apprehension that he may flee the country.
Dismissing his bail petition on the ground that he had remained “elusive” after the arrest of four co-accused, the high court had termed Sharma as a “deemed absconder”.
The court said the process of declaring him a PO would have to be completed within the specified time.
