‘Dawood aide’ Sharma acquitted of model’s murder

Romesh Sharma, an alleged front man of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was acquitted by the Delhi high court on Wednesday of the sensational murder of fashion designer Kunjum Budhiraja in 1999. His partner in the crime, Tejinder Virdi alias Dolly, was also let off.

Both had challenged their conviction and life sentences by a trial court.

A division bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Suresh Kait, however, upheld the life sentences of four other convicts, Surinder Mishra, Hemchand, Santram and Ramesh alias Bobby.

The prosecution contended that Sharma wanted to get rid of Kunjum as she knew about his alleged illegal activities, but the bench said, “We hold that far from the motive being established as alleged by the prosecution, the reverse stands established that Romesh Sharma and Kunjum were in love and desired the company of each other. It does not establish that Sharma was fed-up with her.”

Kunjum was murdered at Sharma’s ‘Jai Mata Di’ farmhouse in South Delhi on March 20, 1999, allegedly by killers hired by Mishra.

Mishra, 26, who was arrested in Ahmedabad soon after on March 23, allegedly told police that his four accomplices stabbed Kunjum to death when she had gone to offer Navratri prayers at a temple in Sharma’s bungalow on the farmhouse.

Police said Mishra gave Kumjum keys to the farmhouse when she visited his Mayfair Garden, Mehrauli, house, but did not join the killers. Having given the “kill” instructions, he left for Noida.

Kunjum was attacked shortly after she offered prayers. The killers first smashed a bottle on her head and then stabbed her.