Prof case: Fourth witness turns hostile

Ujjain, MP, Feb 7 (UNI) A fourth witness turned hostile today during a hearing of the case concerning the murder of Prof Harbhajan Singh Sabharwal.

While deposing before District and Sessions Judge A K Sharma, Madhav College peon Nawalkishore backtracked on his earlier statement.

Over the past three days, four of the prosecution's five witnesses turned hostile. The prosecution is to present a total 48 witnesses. February 19, 20 and 21 were fixed as the next dates of hearing. Earlier, the college watchman and eyewitness Komalsingh Parihar, Manohar Dondiya and Sarwan Patel backtracked.

Librarian Govind Kushwaha was the only witness who did not turn hostile.

''The college's internal politics resulted in the assault on the professor. The same politics led to postponement of a students' union poll,'' said Mr Nawalkishore.

Prime accused Shashiranjan Singh Akela, who was then the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's Madhya Pradesh unit president, and Vimal Tomar, the then general secretary, were brought to court besides other accused Sudheer Yadav, Hemant Dubey, Vishal Rajauria and Pankaj Mishra.

The professor died in violence sparked off on August 26, 2006 by the poll's postponement. The government ordered an inquiry by the Crime Investigation Department.

UNI