Prof case: policemen turn hostile

Ujjain, MP, Apr 6 (UNI) A local court today declared three police personnel as hostile witnesses while a constable gave a detailed statement on the murder of Prof Harbhajan Singh Sabharwal who was killed in student union poll-linked violence on August 26 last year at the Madhav College here.

On the second successive day of hearings, eight witnesses deposed before District and Sessions Judge A K Sharma.

Personnel Thara Singh, Dileep Tripathi and Parmanand were declared hostile while Constable Indra Vikram Singh provided details about the assault.

''The student leaders who blackened Prof M L Nath's face were the ones who beat up Prof Sabharwal at Gate Number 2. I do not know the names of the assailants but a crowd targeted the Professor in front of my eyes. By the time he fell, the attackers had run away. I unlocked the gate and rushed Prof Sabharwal to hospital with help from others,'' said Constable Singh who was on duty at the gate.

Dr Kulkarni, who heads the Pathology Department at Indore's Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital and examined the Professor's heart, said cardiac arrest could have been the cause of death following injury to the ribs.

''A total of 35 witnesses have deposed and 14 are to do so. The next dates of hearing are April 27 and 28,'' said Public Prosecutor Vikram Singh Sikarwar.

The Madhya Pradesh government ordered a Crime Investigation Department inquiry.

The then Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad state President Shashiranjan Singh Akela was among six persons accused.

UNI