R K Sharma gets lifer in Shivani Bhatnagar murder

Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri, disallowing the prosecution8217;s plea that the convicts be sent to the gallows, said 8220;R K Sharma has got an excellent service record as a police officer and the extreme penalty was not needed in this case.8221;

Pronouncing the quantum of sentence in a packed courtroom, the judge added 8220;Moreover, the convict Sharma has no previous criminal history.8221;

Besides Sharma, those sentenced to life imprisonment are hired killer Pradeep Sharma, Sri Bhagwan and Satya Prakash.

Apart from the jail sentence in the nine-year-old murder case, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Sharma and Rs 10,000 each on the other three accused.

Sharma, on 1976-Batch IPS officer, along with three others, was convicted on March 18 for plotting Shivani8217;s murder in her east Delhi apartment on January 23, 1999.