SC notice to ex-IPS officer R K Sharma

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to dismissed IPS officer R K Sharma on a Delhi police plea challenging his acquittal in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.

A Bench led by Justice Aftab Alam asked Sharma to respond to the prosecution contention that the High Court had erred in ignoring crucial circumstantial and electronic evidence such as telephone records,which pointed to the former IPS officers guilt. Notices were issued to Sharma and two of his alleged accomplices,Sri Bhagwan and Satya Prakash,who were also acquitted by the High Court.

Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval stressed that the trial court had convicted Sharma and others,giving credence to the telephonic records.

There are independent pieces of evidence. The call details of Sri Bhagwan clearly show that Sharma was in contact with him, the ASG said.

There is no discussion of telephonic calls by the High Court in its judgment. The best part of the evidence in the form of calls to Sharma by other accused was not considered by the High Court, Raval stated in court.

The High Court on October 12,2011,had acquitted Sharma and two others,giving them the benefit of doubt. It had only upheld the conviction of Pradeep Sharma,one of the four persons found guilty by the trial court.

The court had said although the motive behind the killing of the journalist was unclear,it raised questions whether Pradeep Sharma acted alone or at the behest of R K Sharma or at the instance of someone else.

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The HC had said the prosecution failed to establish the link between R K Sharma and the killer and even the call records were tampered with and could not be relied upon. It rejected the prosecutions plea that Shivani was eliminated at the instance of R K Sharma,as he wanted to get out of their full-blown love affair.

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