New Delhi: A Delhi court on September 30 remanded Ved Sharma, accused in the journalist Shivani Bhatnagar case, to eight days police custody after he was brought to Delhi from a Haryana jail where he is serving 10 years imprisonment in a rape case.

Ved Sharma, against whom a production warrant was issued, was produced before metropolitan magistrate J P Narain, who remanded him for custodial interrogation till October 8.

Seeking his police remand, the investigating officer told the court that the custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary to unravel the conspiracy of the murder in which senior Haryana cadre IPS officer R K Sharma is the prime accused.

Police said they also have to recover a gold chain, which was stolen from Shivani's house after the murder.

The Court on Saturday had directed the Gurgaon Jail authority to produce the accused on an application by the Delhi police crime branch in this regard.

Sharma was on September 28 remanded to police custody till October 8. He had surrendered before Ambala Court on September 27 and was brought here on transit remand.

The City Police had obtained production warrant of Ved Sharma last month but had not produced him, as they were unable to apprehend Sharma with whom they wanted to confront him.

Three other accused in the case, Shri Bhagwan, Pradeep and Satya Prakash are in judicial custody.

Shivani, the 'Indian Express' journalist was murdered on January 23, 1999 at her East Delhi apartment.

PTI