RK Sharma, key accused in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, downplayed his alleged intimate relationship with the deceased scribe.
NEW DELHI: Hours after receiving a jolt from the Supreme Court, RK Sharma, a suspended Haryana cadre IPS officer and key accused in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, on Tuesday downplayed his alleged intimate relationship with the deceased scribe but claimed she knew several top BJP leaders.
"She (Shivani) knew many officers in various departments and she also knew top BJP leaders in the Central Government," Sharma said in his testimony before Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar.
His statement was recorded hours after the apex court set aside the Delhi High Court order directing Delhi Police to provide case diary containing statements of Shivani's husband.
"Shivani Bhatnagar was covering the PMO, IB, CBI, the Law Ministry, the Supreme Court and many other departments and ministries years before I joined the PMO ... and she continued to have the same beats even after I left the PMO," he said.
Sharma was recording his statement under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code, a provision which entitles an accused to get his version recorded after the completion of the testimony of the prosecution witnesses.
Sharma's wife Madhu had earlier reportedly alleged that a senior BJP leader was behind the killing.
The suspended officer, who has been in jail since he surrendered in 2002 after an NBW was issued, admitted that Shivani was a family friend and his wife had helped her, by providing references, during her stay in London but denied having an affair with her.
He termed Saijal Shah, a key witness, who in her deposition had said that Sharma was having an affair with the journalist, a 'planted' witness.
While refuting the prosecution's allegation that he was having an affair with Shivani, Sharma accepted that other members of his family also used to communicate with her.
"I came to know her professionally and later she became a family friend, he said, adding "it is correct that I and my family members used to communicate with Shivani but it is false that our talks were very frequent."
During the recording of his statement which was also witnessed by his wife and two daughters, he said he was aware that the victim was residing at the Navkunj Apartment in Patparganj, where she was found murdered but did not have the knowledge about her flat number.
During his testimony, which generally centered around his relationship with the slain journalist, Sharma flatly denied knowning other five co-accused in the case, Pradeep Sharma, Satya Prakash, Ved Prakash Sharma, Ved alias Kalu and Sri Bhagwan.
Prosecution has alleged that Sharma along with five accused had conspired to eliminate Shivani as he wanted to get rid of the relationship.
The Court posted the matter to February 20 after Sharma answered 65 questions supplied to him.
The Indian Express journalist was found murdered at her East Delhi apartment on January 23, 1999.
Prosecution has examined 209 witnesses to support its case out of which 40 have been declared hostile.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}