Tandoor case: Last chance to govt to reply to Sharma's plea

Delhi High Court today granted a last opportunity to the Aam Aadmi Party government to respond to the plea of Sushil Sharma, former youth Congress leader convicted in the 'Tandoor murder' case, for his premature release from Tihar Jail here.
Justice Vipin Sanghi made it clear that if the Delhi government does not file its counter affidavit stating the reason for rejecting Sharma's plea for premature release, then its Deputy Secretary, Home Department would have to be present in court on the next date of hearing.
With this direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing on September 20.

The court had earlier directed the government to also place on record the decision, if any, passed by the Lieutenant Governor (LG) in Sharma's case.
Despite the decision taken by the Sentence Reviewing Board (SRB) headed by the Delhi Home Minister, premature release is subject to approval of the LG.
In his plea filed through advocate Sumeet Verma, Sharma has alleged that without any communication from the competent authority (the LG) about finality of the decision, he was forced to return to jail on April 12.

The government's home department had informed them on May 2 about the LG's decision which was not on record, Verma had told the court earlier.

The high court had on September 15 last year said Sharma will remain out of jail on parole till the competent authority decided his plea seeking remission and premature release.
Sharma in his application has contended that he has remained in jail for over 25 years, which is maximum as per SRB guidelines and hence should be released from jail.
Sharma was convicted for the sensational murder of his wife Naina Sahni. He had shot her with his licensed revolver on July 2, 1995, took her body to a restaurant, chopped it into pieces and tried to burn them in the oven (Tandoor). The case then came to be known as 'Tandoor murder case'.

The Supreme Court had commuted to life imprisonment the death penalty awarded to Sharma by a trial court in 2003 and upheld by the high court in 2007, saying the murder was the outcome of "strained personal relationship" and the convict was "not a confirmed criminal".
While reducing the sentence, the apex court had said "life sentence is for the whole of remaining life of Sharma subject to remission granted by the appropriate government under Code of Criminal Procedure.