Ambala, September 27
The suspended Haryana Inspector-General of Police (Prisons), Mr Ravi Kant Sharma, who is the prime accused in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, surrendered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ambala, Ms Sarita Gupta, this evening. He has been remanded in judicial custody till October 5.
Mr Sharma reached the court premises in a private car around 3.30 p.m. He went inside the court and sat on a chair kept for litigants. Ten minutes later his advocate also reached the court and moved an application before the Judge, mentioning the intention of their client to surrender.
The application alleged that “the applicant is a victim of a frame-up in a blatant false case. The applicant has fully cooperated in the investigation of the case which was carried out for a period of over three years and there is nothing against the applicant, even distantly to connect the applicant.
“The unfair, unjust mode and methods and suddenly abrupted fury of investigation agency unknown to law that the petitioner/applicant has been seeking protection under the law of land and has been petitioning before the court of law. Still the petitioner/applicant has been labelled as absconder by the investigating agency for the reasons best known to it.
“The applicant has, at no stage either absconded or attempted to flee from justice and had only being pursuing the remedies available to him under the law of the land. It is pertinent to mention here that the applicant neither ever went outside the boundaries of the country nor ever thought of it.”
The application further alleged that “the circumstances leading to sudden and abrupt victimisation of the applicant, his wife and innocent daughters and other respectable relatives are unprecedented in the legal history and are conclusive proof of persecution. The family of the applicant has been made to lead a miserable life during this period by the Delhi Police. The applicant has serious apprehensions that if he surrenders before Delhi Police, he will be kept in illegal confinement and crude padding would be resorted to.
“The applicant also fears of third degree methods to be adopted by the Delhi Police and thus will cause acute mental and physical pain so that the applicant is forced to toe the line of Delhi Police.
“It is, therefore, respectfully prayed that the applicant be allowed to surrender before this court and a suitable notice be given to Delhi Police so that it can obtain lawful custody from the court of law. It is further prayed that he may be handed over to the Delhi Police after a complete medical check-up in terms of guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court of India in DK Basu’s case and may pass any or such directions that this court may deem fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case and in the interest of justice,” the application submitted.
After reading the application, Ms
Gupta retired to her chamber for some time. When she returned to the courtroom, she remanded Mr Sharma in judicial custody till October 5. She also directed the court staff to inform the
Delhi Police about Mr Sharma’s surrender. After dictating the orders, she again retired to her chamber.
Contrary to reports in a section of the media that to evade arrest Mr Sharma might have changed his appearance, the Haryana police officer sported his trademark moustache. He was wearing a blue check shirt and black trousers.
Mr Sharma waited inside the court for the orders to be typed and signed by the Judge. Around 4.45 p.m. his wife Madhu, daughters Pragati and Komal, and mother Kamal also reached the court.
The scene in the courtroom turned emotional when his younger daughter Komal hugged him. Both the father and the daughter were in tears. Madhu, however, kept her cool. She consoled the daughter and separated her from Mr Sharma. She held his arm in a gesture of extending moral support.
Mr Sharma was upset with a section of the media, particularly the electronic media, for projecting him as an “absconder” even while he was exploring legal remedies available to him under law. He said he had the right to apply for anticipatory bail. Till his plea was turned down by the highest court of the land, he could not be termed absconder.
He evaded a direct reply when asked if there was any political conspiracy to involve him in the Shivani murder case, though he pleaded his innocence. He refused to reveal where he remained for 55 days when the Delhi police was in search of him.
After the Judge signed the order, Mr Sharma came out of the court with men whom he lorded over till last month escorting him to a Gypsy, specially brought in to take him to jail. As a gesture of recognition of the status of Mr Sharma as the I.G. of the Haryana police, a DSP, Mr Udey Shankar, drove the vehicle. As the policemen opened the rear door for Mr Sharma to sit, he brushed them aside and sat in the front, along with the DSP.
Ironically, he was taken to the Ambala Central Jail, which was under him till August 12 in his capacity as Inspector-General, Prisons, Haryana.
A large number of people turned up outside the court when they learnt that IG R.K. Sharma had surrendered. Even the courtroom was jampacked by newsmen and advocates.
Mr Sharma told newsmen that his wife would later give a statement outside the jail. However, she just drove away.
The newsmen who followed Mr Sharma to the jail were not allowed inside the jail premises, though it is open to visitors in normal times. When the Tribune photographer tried to click a shot, a Deputy Superintendent of Jail misbehaved with him and told his men to snatch the camera. However, he escaped his fury.
In another gesture of camaraderie, the jail staff opened the main gate to let the IG inside. Normally, only the wicket gate is opened to admit prisoners.
Why did Mr Sharma surrendered before the Ambala court and not Panchkula? Probably, he knew that since Panchkula does not have a jail, he would have been brought to Ambala jail.
