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Tandoor case sentence deferred

Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV. 5. The prosecution in the Naina Sahni murder case today argued for awarding capital punishment to Sushil Sharma, main accused in the case, even as the court postponed the pronouncement of the quantum of sentence for Thursday.

The Additional Sessions Judge, G.P. Thareja, deferred the pronouncement for tomorrow saying the ambience inside the courtroom at the moment was not conducive for conducting the proceedings "in a calm and cool manner''.

The courtroom was crowded with lawyers, reporters and public visitors, and the resultant commotion was so much that the judge found it quite inaudible what the lawyers in the case were submitting.

Later, the judge said that the entry to the courtroom on Thursday would be restricted to 15 lawyers and one representative from each newspaper or television channel. The case will be taken up at 2 p.m. for further hearing.

Earlier, replying to queries by the judge on the possibility of initiating investigation against the Indian Administraive Service (IAS) officer of the Gujarat cadre, D.K. Rao, for allegedly concealing the fact of giving shelter to Sushil Sharma in his room at Gujarat Bhawan here despite knowing his crime, the Special Public Prosecutor (SSP) in the case, A.P.S.Ahluwalia, submitted that the city police had issued necessary directions for initiating a probe into the culpability of the senior IAS officer.

Mr. Thareja wanted the city police to investigate Rao's offence and file an additional chargesheet against him, if required.

The judge also came down heavily on the city police for allowing holding of a demonstration outside the court premises against the accused in the case.

"How did the Police Commissioner allow the demonstration when he was yet to pronounce the quantum of sentence,'' the judge asked. He observed that holding of such demonstrations outside the court premises when cases were pending before judges did affect the administration of justice.

Some women organisation led by local leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party had organised a demonstration on Monday when the court held Sushil Sharma guilty as well on Wednesday.

The court directed the SPP to convey the opinion of the court to the Police Commissioner who shall ensure the no agitation was organised outside the court premises in the matter till it was finally disposed of.

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