Shivani murder: HC refrains from granting bail

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refrained from granting bail to suspended IPS officer R K Sharma, prime accused in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, as the trial proceedings were expected to be completed by July end.

Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed posted the bail plea till July 27, as the prosecution assured that trial proceedings would be completed by then.

Earlier, when the matter came up for hearing, the Delhi Police opposed Sharma's bail petition as about a dozen other witnesses were to be examined in the case.

Qamar Ali, counsel for R K Sharma, complained that the bail application was pending since May 2005 and since investigations had more or less been completed, there was no reason why the prosecution should oppose the same.

However, the Delhi Police counsel took the stance that the trial proceedings were being delayed as the defence was repeatedly seeking time for cross-examining several witnesses.  Following this, Justice Ahmed took an undertaking from the prosecution that they would complete the trial proceedings by the end of July so that the bail application could be taken up for consideration.