New Delhi, Sept 23: Eight years after former youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma allegedly murdered his wife Naina Sahni and attempted to burn the body in the "Tandoor" of a restaurant in the heart of the national capital, the trial court today fixed October 29 for pronouncement of the judgement in the case. However, additional Sessions Judge G P Thareja added that if it was possible to give the judgement on an earlier date, he would summon the prosecution and the defence for the same.

The prosecution has submitted 62 judgements in support of its case, while the defence cited 32 rulings, the court said, adding it would take at least a month more to study fully each and every judgement.

Final arguments in the sensational case began on July 2 with the prosecution alleging that Sharma had all along tried to keep his marriage with Sahni under wraps.

On August 26, the judge inspected Ashok Yatri Nivas from where police had allegedly recovered Sahni`s burnt body parts on the intervening night of July 2/3, 1995. The trial in the case ended on August 28.

On September 5, the court granted Sharma the option to exercise his right to get back possession of Baghiya restaurant in Ashok Yatri Nivas here after rejecting an application filed by Hotel Queen Road Private Ltd seeking release of Ashok Yatri Nivas land.

In the chargesheet, the prosecution had listed 99 witnesses but later it dropped 18 of them. However the court recalled six witnesses later taking the total prosecution witnesses to 87 apart from the six court witnesses. About 450 dates were given in the case.

Initially, additional Sessions Judge V K Khanna was hearing the case at the Patiala house courts. But later it was transferred to the court of additional sessions Judge G P Thareja.


Bureau Report