New Delhi: The Delhi High Court rejected the interim bail plea of senior Haryana IPS officer Ravi Kant Sharma on April 8. Sharma, facing trial in journalist Shivani Bhatnagar murder case had sought release from jail for three weeks on interim bail enabling him to attend the marriage of his daughter, fixed for April 20.

Justice R C Chopra rejected Sharma's plea that he has to arrange money and other things for his daughter's marriage and that he was ready to accept any condition to be imposed by the court on him, if granted interim bail.

A Sessions Court in New Delhi on March 26 had granted Sharma custodial parole for five days for attending the marriage giving him liberty to choose dates to avail the facility.

Sharma, accused of conspiring to murder Indian Express journalist Shivani Bhatnagar on January 23, 1999, is presently lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

Besides Sharma, five co-accused -- Sri Bhagwan, Satya Prakash, Pradeep Sharma, Ved Prakash Sharma and Ved Prakash alias Kalu -- are facing trial in the case.

PTI