The Hindu : New Delhi News : Shivani case convicts to appeal in High Court

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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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New Delhi

Shivani case convicts to appeal in High Court

Manisha Jha

Some of them appeared confident of getting a reprieve

- Photo: Sandeep Saxena

Day of judgment: Prime accused R.K. Sharma being taken in a police van to be produced in the Shivani murder case at the Karkardooma court in East Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Though a court here on Tuesday held four persons including suspended IPS officer R. K. Sharma guilty in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, some of them appeared confident of getting a reprieve from the Delhi High Court.

Courtroom

Dressed in a light pink T-shirt, Sharma arrived for the hearing in the jail van sitting in the front seat. He maintained a cool and calm composure throughout and shook hands with his lawyers after entering the packed courtroom.

Defence counsel D. B. Goswami said appealing against the verdict was a definite option for the four convicts including Pradeep, Satya Prakash and Shri Bhagwan. The other two accused, Ved Prakash and Ved alias Kalu, were acquitted by the court on Tuesday. Ved Prakash and Shri Bhagwan are related.

After the verdict was pronounced, both Pradeep and Satya Prakash maintained a brave front and assured their relatives that they would get reprieve from the High Court. Satya Prakash, reassuring an inconsolable relative, said: “No need to worry about me. We will appeal in the High Court and I am confident that I will be acquitted.”

Relatives of those acquitted expressed satisfaction over the verdict. Ved Prakash’s nephew Nitin Kumar Sharma said: “The judgment is correct and we are very happy. We were confident that Ved Prakash would be acquitted. However, we plan to appeal in the High Court regarding the conviction of Shri Bhagwan.”

Relatives

While close family members of Sharma were not present, one of his relatives burst into tears on hearing the verdict and was consoled by Sharma. His wife and daughters were not present in the courtroom. A distant relative of Sharma said: “We have nothing to say on the matter. It is the court’s decision and it has already said what it had to.”

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