New Delhi: Tandoor case judgment on Feb 19

New Delhi, Feb 18: The Delhi High Court will pronounce tomorrow its judgment in the Tandoor murder case in which former Delhi Youth Congress President Sushil Sharma was awarded death sentence for the killing of his wife 12 years ago.

A division bench of Justices R S Sodhi and P K Bhasin will give its verdict tomorrow after the order was reserved on January 17, completing arguments by the counsel from both Sharma and the prosecution.

Sharma had challenged the order of the Sessions Court, awarding him death penalty for killing his wife Naina Sahni and disposing of her body in a tandoor (earthen oven) at Bagia restaurant of Ashoka Yatri Niwas Hotel in the central Delhi on the intervening night of July 2-3, 1995.

Sessions Judge G P Thareja had pronounced the death penalty to Sharma on November 7, 2003. The court had also awarded 7 years imprisonment to his accomplice and manager of restaurant Keshav Kumar for conspiring with Sharma to burn the body in the tandoor.

Suspecting Naina of infidelity, Sharma had in a fit of rage allegedly shot her dead during an argument at their residence in Gole Market in central Delhi.

Senior Counsel K K Sud appearing for Sharma submitted that the trial judge erred in convicting the former Youth Congress leader relying on false evidence.

UNI