Shivani case: Court questions delay in examining evidences
A court hearing the Shivani Bhatnagar murder on Monday, questioned the prosecution over an alleged delay in sending a crucial piece of evidence for examination by experts.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: A court hearing the Shivani Bhatnagar murder on Monday, questioned the prosecution over an alleged delay in sending a crucial piece of evidence for examination by experts.
Seeking answers for the delay in sending a register, allegedly bearing chance finger prints of an accused, for examination, the court took note of the defence plea that there was a possibility for tampering with the evidence as it was sent to experts six months after being seized by the police.
The court's observation came after counsel for prime accused and suspended IPS officer R K Sharma said that the entry register to Shivani's Navkunj apartments, purportedly carrying the chance prints of alleged assailant Pradeep Sharma, were not put up for examination before July 1999, even though they were seized in January then.
Concurring with the arguments of Sharma's counsel S P Minocha, Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri said, "You are responsible to explain that the aritcles were not tampered with in between".
The prosecution represented by Special Public Prosecutor S K Saxena, despite his opposition to Minocha's submission was found at an apparent discomfort to reply to the judge's query.
Challenging the prosecutor's contention that the articles were in safe custody of the police, Minocha said, "It is difficult to accept the proposition that the articles remained lying with them".
The defence counsel claimed that the prosecution's failure to justify its stand reflected the "chances of manipulation" of various articles that were seized by the police during its investigation.
Meanwhile, Minocha contradicted the prosecution's version that R K Sharma had, during his official visit to Capital on December 2, 1998, had stayed at Hotel Ashoka and had also called Shivani from there.
Seeking answers for the delay in sending a register, allegedly bearing chance finger prints of an accused, for examination, the court took note of the defence plea that there was a possibility for tampering with the evidence as it was sent to experts six months after being seized by the police.
The court's observation came after counsel for prime accused and suspended IPS officer R K Sharma said that the entry register to Shivani's Navkunj apartments, purportedly carrying the chance prints of alleged assailant Pradeep Sharma, were not put up for examination before July 1999, even though they were seized in January then.
Concurring with the arguments of Sharma's counsel S P Minocha, Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri said, "You are responsible to explain that the aritcles were not tampered with in between".
The prosecution represented by Special Public Prosecutor S K Saxena, despite his opposition to Minocha's submission was found at an apparent discomfort to reply to the judge's query.
Challenging the prosecutor's contention that the articles were in safe custody of the police, Minocha said, "It is difficult to accept the proposition that the articles remained lying with them".
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The defence counsel claimed that the prosecution's failure to justify its stand reflected the "chances of manipulation" of various articles that were seized by the police during its investigation.
Meanwhile, Minocha contradicted the prosecution's version that R K Sharma had, during his official visit to Capital on December 2, 1998, had stayed at Hotel Ashoka and had also called Shivani from there.
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