Verdict on Shivani Bhatnagar murder likely on Tuesday

Mon, Mar 17 05:56 PM

The fate of suspended IPS officer R K Sharma and five other accused in Shivani murder case is likely to be decided on Tuesday by a fast track court in New Delhi when it pronounces the verdict in the five-year-long trial, which saw 51 out of 209 witnesses turn hostile.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri had on March five declared the arguments in the trial as closed and reserved its judgement for March 18.

R K Sharma, a Haryana-cadre IPS officer, is facing trial for allegedly conspiring with five others -- Sri Bhagwan, Ved Prakash Sharma, Pradeep Sharma, Satya Prakash and Ved alias Kalu -- to get Indian Express scribe Shivani Bhatnagar killed in her east Delhi flat on January 23 1999.

While Pradeep Sharma has been charged with inflicting fatal injuries on the victim, four others, apart from the suspended IPS officer, allegedly provided him support to commit the crime.

The prosecution has charged all the accused with murder and conspiracy. Pradeep has additionally been charged with theft of victim's gold chain and camera after the murder.

According to the prosecution, R K Sharma in his capacity as OSD at the PMO between July 1997 and April 1998 had leaked classified documents to the deceased journalist. It said that the two later developed an intimate relationship.

The prosecution also claimed that after some time differences cropped up between them and Shivani resented Sharma's bid to avoid her. Later, she decided to expose his involvement in "pilferage and passing out classified documents" to her.

It was this fear that Shivani would spoil his career, social status and married life that prompted Sharma to plan her killing, the investigation had revealed.

The case that took the Delhi Police over four years to complete its investigation in the case saw several twists and turns, including an allegation by R K Sharma's wife Madhu that a late BJP leader was involved in the murder.

The prosecution which termed Shivani's murder a "pre-planned killing" at the behest of the suspended IPS officer has relied heavily on the records of the telephonic conversation between him and the other accused.

Prominent witness accounts relied upon by the prosecution includes that of the victim's husband, sister and close friend Saijal Shah.

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