New Delhi, July 03: A Delhi court today reserved its order on the interim bail application of Shivani Bhatnagar murder accused R K Sharma with the prosecution stoutly opposing the plea saying the senior IPS officer may tamper with the witnesses if released on bail now. "Two very important witnesses including Shivani's sister Sevanti are to be summoned before 10th of this month and if Sharma is granted bail, he may attempt to tamper with them," prosecution counsel S K Saxena told additional sessions judge J M Malik opposing Sharma's plea for five days interim bail to perform religious ceremonies associated with his father J D Sharma's fourth death anniversary.
The order would be pronounced tomorrow.
Refuting defence counsel S P Manocha's arguments loaded with Sharma's desire to fulfil the religious duties towards his father who passed away on July 10, 1999, Saxena said the IPS officer was not the only son.
He had an elder brother who could also perform the rites, the counsel said. However, Manocha joined issue saying the elder brother was in the United States.
Expressing doubts over the genuineness of the application, Saxena said even the accused's mother had been thrown out of the house and dispossessed of her property.
"How then could Sharma be expected to be genuinely hoping to pay last respects to a departed soul," he sought to know.
The prosecutor also referred to a letter purportedly written by a pundit and attached with the bail plea, and said it gave the impression that it was the pundit who had reminded Sharma of the anniversary and the associated 'duties' and not vice versa.
Bureau Report