Men arrested for Bhardwaj murder won’t take ID parade

During the proceedings,Delhi Police had moved an application seeking their test identification parade (TIP),for which the accused were produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Jasjeet Kaur. The three accused refused to undergo TIP,claiming that police had already taken their photographs.

Two of the accused are Sunil Mann (26) and Purushottam Rana (30) who allegedly murdered Bhardwaj on March 26 in his farmhouse in South Delhi’s Rajokri area. The third accused is Amit,the driver of their vehicle. They were produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Prashant Sharma on Tuesday morning.

During the proceedings on Tuesday,police told the court that they were looking for the main conspirators and that Sunil had mentioned that he had obtained a gun from a person named Raju. Police also said Rana had disclosed that a spiritual guru was involved in the conspiracy. “The investigating officer concerned has moved an application for grant of 10 days police custody of the accused persons so that various evidences could be collected,” the court said.

The court noted that the arrest of main conspirators,other co-accused,recovery of weapon and car used in the crime,and discovery of the motive needs to be done through custodial interrogation of the three accused.

Police informed the court that it was yet to recover SIM cards belonging to the accused to find the links to other conspirators.

Mann and Rana were arrested on Monday when they had gone to Patiala House Court complex to surrender. Rana was apprehended by the police outside the premises,while Mann was handed over to the Delhi Police Crime Branch by the judge after those accompanying him misbehaved in the courtroom.

The counsel for the accused,advocate J P Singh,told the court that custodial interrogation was the right of the police,the duration of the custody need not be 10 days. “The interests of the investigation would be served if the police were given five-day remand,” Singh said. The advocate had also filed an application before the court,seeking that medical examination of the accused be conducted every 12 hours. The court dismissed the application,stating that the rules laid down by the Supreme Court specified that medical examination should be conducted every 48 hours.

“The IO and SHO were directed to allow us to meet our clients as convenient,” Singh said. The accused will remain in police custody till April 12.