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R K Sharma remanded to 14-day judicial custody

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Senior Indian Police Service officer Ravi Kant Sharma, prime accused in the Indian Express journalist Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, was on Tuesday remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by a Delhi court, amid allegations by the defence that Sharma was being 'framed' to 'save highly placed persons'.

Metropolitan Magistrate Jai Prakash Narain remanded Sharma and five other suspects to judicial custody, after the Delhi police in its application said that Sharma, during his ten-day police custody, had 'divulged material information' regarding the conspiracy hatched to eliminate Shivani.

The others who were remanded to judicial custody till October 22 were Sri Bhagwan, Ved Prakash Sharma, Pradeep Sharma, Satya Prakash and Ved Prakash alias Kalu.

The magistrate took hardly a few minutes before passing the order. One of the lawyers of Sharma said the judicial custody was likely to be in Tihar jail, after which Sharma would again be produced in court on October 22.

During arguments, Sharma's defence counsel, R K Naseem, submitted to the court that despite the earlier court order, the general attitude of the Delhi police was 'atrocious' as its officers kept Sharma's wife, Madhu, waiting, and later disallowed her from meeting Sharma.

Naseem also moved an application stating that during his interrogation Sharma had given names of 'highly placed political persons and leads' as to how they are connected and involved in the murder.

He alleged that the police officers noted down those names and leads but did not bother to call them and examine that aspect altogether.

"They completely ignored the cogent and trustworthy leads and information against those people to save them and frame the applicant," he said.

The magistrate observed that the applications of the defence counsel should be submitted through the proper channel to the reader, after which he would go through them.

Sharma, a senior IPS officer with the rank of inspector general of police, entered court number 27 of the Karkardooma court with a substantial number of his followers, apart from the battery of lawyers.

His wife Madhu and daughters Pragati and Komal were already present. Sharma appeared haggard, but remained composed through the brief proceedings.

The magistrate had earlier remanded Sharma to ten days of police custody on September 28, which ended on Tuesday.

With inputs from agencies

Shivani Bhatnagar murder case: Complete coverage

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