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IG's plea for transit bail rejected

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH AUG 10. The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Panchkula, H.S. Bhangoo, has rejected on grounds of "jurisdiction" the plea for a transit bail for the Haryana Inspector-General (Prisons), Ravi Kant Sharma, prime suspect in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.

The Judge, who had earlier rejected the plea for interim bail, heard arguments at length from counsel for the petitioner and the Delhi police, and reserved his orders for half-an-hour.

The Judge later ruled that Mr. Sharma's bail plea could not be entertained as the case had been registered in Delhi and not at Panchkula in Haryana.

According to Sharma's counsel, a fresh bail application may be filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court or even the Delhi High Court.

Raids draw a blank

Our New Delhi Staff

Reporter adds:

Although the police remand of two of the accused in the case would soon end, about a dozen Crime Branch teams sent to various places have so far drawn a blank in arresting Sharma and his accomplice Satya Prakash.

The Crime Branch conducted raids in Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh but has not been able to zero in on the main accused.

A police officer said that Prakash (suspected to be in Haryana) was under the patronage of a top politician thus enjoying local police protection.

The Delhi and Haryana police do not see eye to eye. On several occasions, Delhi police personnel undertaking raids have been picked up by the Haryana police.

Investigations show that Sharma's contacts are withdrawing money for him so that he could not be traced though his credit card.

Police plan to arrest those who have harboured or helped Sharma.

Curiously, the Delhi police do not show much interest in questioning Mr. Sharma's wife, Madhu, who was with him when he left his official residence.

For now, the only comfort for them is the rejection of Mr. Sharma's application for a transit bail.

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