Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Thursday granted two months’ interim bail to Pradeep Sharma, who is serving life sentence for the 1999 murder of journalist Shivani Bhatnagar, to allow him to meet his son.
A division bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Ajit Bharihoke granted two months’ interim bail to Pradeep on furnishing a bond of Rs.20,000.

Pradeep in his plea submitted that since his arrest by Delhi Police on Aug 2, 2002, he was never granted bail and now wanted to see his only son who was six months old when he was arrested.

After hearing Padeep’s contention, the court allowed his plea and granted him two months’ interim bail.

However, the court refused to extend the bail plea of former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer R.K. Sharma, who wanted to leave the jail to see his younger daughter’s new-born son.

The court declined his request as he was already on bail for two months to visit his elder daughter and her infant son.

The court asked Sharma, who is also serving life sentence, to surrender to the police and ordered him to be sent him to Tihar jail.

Pradeep, the hired killer, along with R.K.Sharma and two others was held guilty of the murder of Indian Express scribe Shivani Bhatnagar on Jan 23, 1999.

Shivani Bhatnagar was found murdered in her flat in east Delhi. She was at home alone with her infant son, when Pradeep called on the pretext of giving a wedding invitation and murdered her.

Two others held guilty as co-conspirators in the case are Sri Bhagwan and Satya Prakash.