Shivani Murder : RK Sharma acquitted, will be out of jail after 9 yrs

New Delhi: Giving the benefit of doubt, the Delhi High Court today acquitted former senior police officer Ravi Kant Sharma and two others in the murder of journalist
Shivani Bhatnagar in 1999. The court, however, upheld the conviction of the fourth accused, Pradeep Sharma, who had killed the scribe and directed that his remaining sentence would be continued. A bench comprising Justices B D Ahmed and Manmohan Singh said, “The quality of evidence before us is not of a high calibre. The key document is riddled with so many problems that it cannot be relied upon”, adding that the Judges, like other human beings, also have suspicions but, judges, unlike others, who are free to arrive at their own conclusions, cannot and do not convict on the basis of mere suspicion.”The prosecution has to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. We are afraid that the prosecution, in our view, has failed to do so so far as appellants RK Sharma, Sri Bhagwan Sharma and Satya Prakash are concerned,” the bench remarked.The court, however, said the prosecution had succeeded in proving its case so far as Pradeep Sharma was concerned and upheld his conviction under section 302 IPC. The conviction of Pradeep Sharma stands confirmed, the court said.