New Delhi   

Convict files appeal in Shivani case

NEW DELHI: Pradeep Sharma filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday challenging his conviction in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, submitting that the prosecution’s case against him bristled with discrepancies.

Filing the appeal through his counsel D. B. Goswami, Sharma said that the complainant in the case and husband of the deceased had in his statements to the police and in the court during the trial consistently said that he had talked to his wife last time at 3-30 p.m. on the fateful day while the details with the police told quite a different story.

Alluding to the entries in the logbook of Navkunj Apartments where Shivani stayed, the police said that he entered the apartment premises at 2-50 p.m. and was out at 3-10 p.m., the appeal said.

Drawing the attention of the High Court to the discrepancy, Sharma said that he had been framed by the police in the case as Shivani was alive when he had left the premises of the apartments.

The appeal said that the husband of the deceased had recorded his statements as many as eight times in the court and he had always reiterated the fact that he had last talked to Shivani at 3-30 p.m.

“Since this is the foundation of the prosecution’s case against me, the case stands demolished,” Sharma submitted.

The appeal further submitted that the trial court had rejected the motive attributed to Sharma for killing Shivani that R. K. Sharma, the prime accused in the case, had promised to get him reinstated in the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) from where he had been terminated.

The trial court had rejected the plea when Sharma was able to prove, on the basis of the documentary evidence, that he had not been dismissed from the service but had actually resigned, the appeal stated.

The trial court had last month sentenced Sharma and three other accused, including suspended senior IPS officer of Haryana cadre, R. K. Sharma, to life imprisonment in the case.

The appeal is likely to be taken up for hearing in a couple of days.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Delhi takes a new look at corridor of chaos
Artistic impressions of the spiritual self
Towards a healthy earth
Celebrating the spirit of struggle
Three get seven years in jail
King faces the heat
Spotlight on air law and regulation
‘Sudarsana homam’ organised
May 14 will decide D-Day in Katara case
Cop’s family gets Rs. 17 lakh relief
Court refuses bail to CBI inspector
Bail plea rejected
Children take part in Earth Day walk
Convict files appeal in Shivani case
Students pledge to save Yamuna
IITians come up with a ‘crazy frog’
Delhi’s wait for more power gets longer
Celebrating Earth Day
Inside Kashmir
Curbs on Ambedkar memorial stayed
India ready to join TAP pipeline project
Approval for merger made mandatory
Karunanidhi to take part in statue unveiling function

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu