New Delhi, Sept 16: Trial in the Shivani Bhatnagar
murder case adjourned without hearing today following the
absence of a crucial witness who was to depose in court.
Suresh Kumar Kukreja, who had been summoned for the day,
filed an application before Additional Session Judge J M Malik
praying exemption from personal appearance on medical grounds.
Taking note of the plea, the court directed him to appear
on September 22.
Kukreja's testimony is crucial to the prosecution, as it
is from his mobile phone, police claim, that prime accused R K
Sharma kept in touch with Shivani's alleged murderers from
Pune.
Kukreja and Sharma were family friends.
The witness, a businessman, had earlier recorded his
statement before a metropolitan magistrate in which he said
that Sharma had borrowed his mobile phone bearing number
9822028128 during a trip to Pune in January 1999.
Later, "Sharma sent me SIM card of the mobile to my
residence in Delhi from Bombay which I received on January 25,
1999", he had said.
However, Sharma did not return the instrument, Kukreja
said in his statement adding he handed over this SIM card to
police investigating the case.
Six accused including Sharma are standing trial in the
case for allegedly murdering Indian Express scribe Shivani
Bhatnagar.
Bureau Report
