The Delhi high court on Wednesday admitted an appeal filed by former Youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma challenging his conviction and death sentence by a trial court in the Naina Sahni murder case.

A division bench of Justice Vijender Jain and Justice R C Jain also admitted for hearing the reference sent by the trial court for confirming Sharma's sentence.

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The bench, which had asked Tihar Jail authorities to produce the convict before it, posted the matter for February 13, the date of hearing after Sharma endorsed advocate Jayant Sud's name to represent him in the case.

Sud has sought to get the November 3 order of Additional Sessions Judge G P Thareja reversed on the ground that the trial court failed to appreciate the evidence on record that did not support the prosecution case.

After his appeal was admitted, Sharma apologised in public for "all mistakes in life".

"I am just an ordinary man," he said. "Everybody commits mistakes. I too have committed it. As death awaits me, I want to apologise to everyone."