New Delhi: Suresh Kukreja, a key witness in Shivani Bhatnagar murder case who turned hostile, shall face criminal proceedings for giving false evidence allegedly for helping his friend and convict IPS officer R K Sharma.

Kukreja (50), a Delhi-based businessman, retracted from his alleged statement, given to the police, that Sharma used his mobile number to remain in touch with the killer and other convicts involved in the murder on the day of the incident.

"It appears that Kukreja deliberately told a lie before the court. Same is an offence punishable under section 181 (false statement on oath) and 193 (false evidence) of the IPC," Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri said in his verdict delivered on March 18.

The court while directing initiation of criminal proceedings against Kukreja said that a complaint was being lodged with the concerned court.

According to the prosecution, on the day of Shivani's murder the IPS officer was in Pune and he used Kukreja's mobile number to co-ordinate the moves of the hired killer and other convicts.

Kukreja had allegedly admitted this fact before the police during investigation, but later landed the prosecution into trouble by retracting from his earlier statement. Following this, the prosecution declared him hostile.

He was one of the 51 hostile witnesses, out of 209 witnesses who deposed in the case. However, his flip-flop proved the most glaring as the court has made critical remarks only against him in his judgement and ordered action against him.
Source : PTI