Suspended inspector general of police Ravi Kant Sharma and three others were on convicted on Tuesday by a city court in New Delhi in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.Addition Sessions Judge Rajendra Kumar Shastri held Sharma guilty of hatching the conspiracy to murder Shivani, who had allegedly threaten to expose the suspended IPS officer's alleged involvement in leaking classified documents to her, nine years ago.Three other co-accused - Sri Bhagwan Sharma, Pradeep Sharma and Satya Prakash - were also held guilty for executing the suspended police official's plot to kill Shivani.Two accused - Ved Prakash Sharma and Ved Prakash alias Kalu - were acquitted for want of evidence.The court would hear the argument on quantum of sentence, which may range from life term to death penalty, on March 20.Dressed in a pink T-shirt and brown trouser, R K Sharma was emotionless as the judge pronounced the judgement in a packed court room. He did not react even when his relatives tried to console him in the court.Relatives of another convict, Pradeep Sharma, burst into tears as the verdict was pronounced.Shivani was found murdered at her Navkunj Apartments in East Delhi on January 23, 1999. The investigation into the case took over three years and the trial commenced in 2003.The five-year-long trial saw the prosecution examine a total of 209 witnesses to prove its allegations against the accused, out of which 51 turned hostile.In its bid to substantiate its claim against the accused, the prosecution relied upon the phone call records of the alleged conversations of R K Sharma with the deceased as well as the co-accused.According to the prosecution, R K Sharma - a former OSD in the PMO - had leaked certain classified documents to the deceased scribe. It was claimed that Shivani, who was "intimate" with the accused had threatened to expose him, after he started ignoring her in 1998.It was claimed by the prosecution that the suspended IGP was afraid that Shivani might expose him so he hatched the conspiracy to get Shivani killed.Chronology: Shivani Murder CaseFollowing is the chronology of events in Shivani Bhatnagar murder case:* January 23 1999: Shivani Bhatnagar, an Indian Express journalist, murdered at her East Delhi apartment.* July 23 2002: Police arrest Sri Bhagwan, son of a former Haryana police officer, who had worked under IPS officer Ravi Kant Sharma.* August 2 2002: Delhi Police raids R K Sharma's residence at Panchkula in Haryana but is unable to apprehend him. Pradeep Sharma, another alleged conspirator, arrested.* August 6 2002: Panchkula court rejects R K Sharma's interim bail application.* August 7 2002: Delhi Police releases R K Sharma's picture and declares a reward of Rs 50,000.* August 8 2002: R K Sharma's wife Madhu alleges involvement of "an influential person," demands CBI probe.* August 12 2002: Delhi police gets forensic report on the handwriting and finger prints of one of accused Pradeep Sharma. R K Sharma files bail plea in a Delhi court.* August 13 2002: R K Sharma's bail plea rejected by a Delhi session's court.* August 15 2002: R K Sharma's wife Madhu alleges involvement of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan in Shivani's murder. Mahajan refutes allegations and says he shared a purely professional relationship with Shivani.* August 16 2002: Delhi Police gives clean chit to Pramod Mahajan.* August 17 2002: Police confirm arrest of co-accused Satya Prakash in the case.* August 18 2002: Another accused, Ved Prakash Sharma, picked up by police.* August 23 2002: R K Sharma suspended from service.* September 27 2002: R K Sharma surrenders in Ambala.* September 28 2002: R K Sharma sent to police custody.* October 8 2002: Police claim R K Sharma has confessed killing Shivani; Sharma's counsel files contempt application against the police.* October 25 2002: Police file chargesheet in Shivani murder case, charging R K Sharma for her murder and alleged he had given her classified government documents.* January 4 2003: Case committed for sessions trial.* March 3 2003: Court frames charges against Sharma and other five accused.* March 20 2003: Trial commences.* January 23 2005: Shivani case sent to fast-track court.* July 21 2006: Supreme Court stays Delhi High Court and trail court order directing the police to furnish its record of case diaries to R K Sharma.* October 9 2007: Prosecution claims Shivani intended to expose R K Sharma for offences under the Official Secrets Act.* November 15 2007: Prosecution ends arguments.* November 23 2007: R K Sharma terms telephone call records "fabricated."* December 4 2007: R K Sharma says his friendly relationship with Shivani was not a "secret affair."* February 29 2007: Final arguments end.* March 5 2008: Court reserves its verdict in the case.* March 18 2008: Court convicts suspended IGP R K Sharma along with three other accused for conspiracy to kill Shivani.
