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R.K. Sharma surrenders in Ambala court

By Our Special Correspondent

The prime accused in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, R.K. Sharma, outside the court in Ambala on Friday, after he surrendered. — PTI

CHANDIGARH SEPT. 27. The elusive Haryana police officer, Ravi Kant Sharma, prime suspect in the murder of the Indian Express correspondent, Shivani Bhatnagar, surrendered before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Ambala this evening. He was remanded to judicial custody till October 5 and sent to the Ambala Central Jail.

Mr. Sharma, who has been on the run since August 3, was suspended by the Haryana Government on August 23. He was also removed from his post as Inspector-General of Police, Prisons, after he failed to rejoin duty after the expiry of his 10-day leave. He had gone on leave following the arrest of another suspect, Shri Bhagwan, by the Delhi Police on July 30.

The Chandigarh and Panchkula-based journalists, who were waiting outside the local courts at Panchkula where the Sharmas stay following rumours that he was likely to surrender there, were in for a surprise. Mr. Sharma preferred to surrender in Ambala where he had previously served as Superintendent of Police, sources said. The news of his surrender was kept under wraps by his lawyers and even his family denied any previous knowledge of his intention to give himself up today.

According to official sources, a Delhi Police team is leaving for Ambala to secure his "custody.'' A senior bureaucrat said on condition of anonymity that the Delhi Police could move an application before the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Ambala seeking transit remand, or even go to the prison Superintendent directly and seek Mr. Sharma's custody in view of the non-bailable warrants issued against him by a Delhi court on August 1.

The Senior Superintendent of Ambala Police, Manoj Yadav, has informed the Delhi Police about the surrender.

Mr. Sharma's attempts to secure anticipatory bail from a Panchkula court, the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Delhi High Court had proved futile. It is learnt that he was thinking of approaching the Supreme Court, but changed his mind after the Delhi Police attached his property and his mother reportedly changed her will in favour of her daughter.

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