Delhi HC issues showcause notice to Anand, Khan

New Delhi, Aug 7 (UNI) The BMW sting operation case took a new turn today when Delhi High Court issued a showcause notice to senior lawyers R K Anand and I U Khan and lawyer Bhagwan Sharma, asking them why contempt proceeding may not be issued against them for abusing the legal process.

Sunil Kulkarni, prime witness in the BMW hit-and-run case, denied his involvement in the Sting operation conducted by NDTV, alleging the Channel ''forced'' him to speak on camera and ''distorted facts''.

In an affidavit, Sunil alleged that NDTV reporter Poonam Agarwal wanted to be famous overnight and therefore, conducted this sensational expose.

However, a Division Bench comprising Justices Manmohan Sarin and S K Misra ignored the affidavit and issued showcause notices on lawyers R K Anand and I U Khan and lawyer Bhagwan Sharma.

The court had earlier gone through the cassette of sting operation, showing the connivance of lawyers with the witness to scuttle the case. The Bench said prima facie it appears that the lawyers had been playing with the legal process, so why the contempt may not be initiated against them.

The court directed the amicus curiae Arvind Nigam to find out whether sting operator NDTV, witness Sunil Kulkarni or any other possible beneficiary had any interest or ulterior motive to do this sting operation. The court directed Arvind Nigam to file his findings on the next date of hearing (September 24).

Sunil also presented a bag full of currency notes to the court, which it refused to open directed him to file a written statement by the next date of hearing.

The case pertains to a sting operation shown by NDTV on May 30, 2007, showing the connivance of Defence lawyer R K Anand and Sunil Kulkarni. The expose meant to tell the public the flaws in the legal system and how witnesses are won over by the high and mighty.

BMW case relates to the killing of six people in an accident by former Navy Chief's grandson Sanjeev Nanda with his BMW car.

UNI