Bhardwaj murder: 4 accused sent to police custody till Apr 15

Four persons, including the two alleged shooters, accused in real estate tycoon Deepak Bhardwaj's murder case, were today remanded to three days police custody by a Delhi court after police said it needs their custodial interrogation to unearth the conspiracy.

The two alleged shooters Purushottam Rana and Sunil Mann and Amit, the driver of the car in which the shooters had gone to the farm house of 62-year-old Bhardwaj, a local BSP leader, to kill him on March 26, were produced before the court after expiry of their 10-day police custody remand.

Co-accused Pradeep, who had allegedly supplied the arms to Rana and Mann, was arrested yesterday and was produced before the court today.

Metropolitan Magistrate Prashant Sharma remanded the four accused to police custody till April 15 saying that the matter is under investigation.

"Admittedly, the matter is pending investigation. The places from where co-accused persons have to be traced out are out of Delhi. I have gone through the case diaries and disclosure statements of the accused persons. The said record is signed by me.

"Keeping in mind the record placed before me, the accused persons who are present before me are sent to police custody for three days till April 15," the magistrate said.

Seeking extension of police custody of Rana, Mann and Amit, prosecutor Kamal Akhtar said that Rana in his disclosure statement has said that he can got alleged godman Pratibhanand, who is still absconding, from Delhi, Mathura and Haridwar.

Regarding Mann and Amit, the prosecutor said they were part of the conspiracy and Amit had gone to meet co-accused Pradeep after the commission of the crime.