Front Page   

Police under pressure to wrap up Shivani murder case?

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI AUG. 18. The Delhi Police is learnt to be under tremendous pressure from the Home Ministry to wrap up the Shivani murder case at the earliest after the name of the Union Information Technology Minister, Pramod Mahajan, was dragged into the case by Madhu Sharma, wife of the prime accused, R.K. Sharma.

The Delhi Police Commissioner, R.S. Gupta, today held a four-hour-long session with the Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, U.K. Katna, and the Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Qamar Ahmed, apparently to review the progress in the case.

The meeting was called after the Crime Branch was granted 11-day remand of Satya Prakash, who, according to police, was arrested from Old Faridabad in Haryana on Saturday.

Sources said the Delhi Police had been asked to intensify the investigations and arrest the other accused in the case as soon as possible. This, it is learnt, has been done to save Mr. Mahajan further embarrassment following Ms. Sharma's statement to the press alleging that the Delhi Police were not investigating Mr. Mahajan's role in spite of the fact that he was also close to Shivani.

She had also alleged that Mr. Mahajan had made a telephone call to Shivani on the day she was murdered.

Refuting the charges a couple of days ago, Mr. Katna denied the intervention of any ``external agency'' in the investigations.

Adding to the controversy, Pradeep, who, police said, was one of the killers of Shivani, told his lawyer that he was repeatedly threatened by the interrogating team to name the Haryana IPS officer, R.K. Sharma, and not Mr. Mahajan.

He alleged that he was being tortured by the interrogating team who asked him to turn an approver in the case.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Centre to refer EC decision on Gujarat polls to President
• Kashmir Committee for deferring elections
• EC reviews poll arrangements
• BJP will get yet another rebuff, says Opposition
• Police under pressure to wrap up Shivani murder case?
• Cabinet Committee firm on poll schedule
• One killed in police firing
• Fernandes to head Samata
• Shekhawat swearing-in
• CPI(M) office attack: toll up

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu