The Hindu : New Delhi News : Verdict in Shivani murder case likely today

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Tuesday, Mar 18, 2008
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Verdict in Shivani murder case likely today

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: A court here is likely to pronounce its verdict on the murder of journalist Shivani Bhatnagar in which suspended IPS officer Ravi Kant Sharma is the prime accused along with five others. Shivani, a senior journalist with the Indian Express, was murdered at her residence in East Delhi on January 23, 1999.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajendra Kumar Shastri had reserved the judgment on March 5 after the prosecution completed its final arguments. During the trial, which had been marked to a fast track court in 2006, the prosecution examined more than 200 witnesses, over 50 of whom had turned hostile. In the absence of eye-witnesses to the gruesome murder, the prosecution has based its case on circumstantial evidence.

Fear of exposure

According to the prosecution, Sharma had decided to eliminate Shivani as he feared she would expose him. He had allegedly leaked sensitive information to Shivani when he was OSD in the Prime Minister’s Office. He also developed intimate relations with the journalist, the prosecution said. It was when Sharma began avoiding Shivani that she threatened to expose him following which he decided to eliminate her, it charged.

The defence had been trying to establish that the chain of events had not been proved completely. In his defence, Sharma also denied having had any affair with Shivani, as alleged by the prosecution. He also denied having leaked any sensitive information to the journalist.

Sharma, along with five others has been charged with criminal conspiracy, murder and destruction of evidence.

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