The Hindu : Shivani case: witness turns hostile

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Tuesday, Sep 23, 2003

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Shivani case: witness turns hostile

New Delhi Sept. 22. In a blow to prosecution in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, a vital witness against the prime accused senior IPS officer R.K. Sharma today turned hostile contradicting his own statement made before a Magistrate in October last.

Suresh Kumar Kukreja, a family friend of Sharma, who had earlier ``admitted'' that he had given his mobile phone bearing number 9822028128 to R.K. Sharma during the latter's stay in Pune in January 1999, today denied that he had given it to the IPS officer.

``I never gave my mobile to R.K. Sharma at any point of time,'' Mr. Kukreja told Additional Sessions Judge J.M. Malik, adding he had made the earlier statement under pressure.

He indicated that he had only parroted before the Magistrate what the police had tutored him to do.

According to the prosecution, Mr. Sharma had used this phone which was borrowed from Mr. Kukreja to keep in touch with the co-accused in the case.

Mr. Kukreja's version is in sharp contrast to what he stated before a Magistrate in October last while recording his statement under Section 164, CrPC. — — PTI

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