Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Rajender Kumar Shastri reserved his verdict as the prosecution wrapped up its rebuttal arguments, citing 27 case laws to establish “there existed strong and unequivocal evidence on records to secure conviction for all the accused”.

Special Prosecutor S K Saxena read out case laws and said Sharma had a “motive” to plot the scribe’s murder as he was apprehensive that she could cost his job by revealing that the officer had given her sensitive government documents.

Sharma was also scared that Shivani might go public with their affair, thereby ruining his public image, Saxena said, adding that the prosecution had “adduced enough records and examined truthful witnesses to establish this fact”.

Saxena said Shivani had shared her intentions to “expose” Sharma with her sister Sevanti and her friend, Sejal, and such statements should be considered as “dying declaration” by the court, which went corroborated charges the against the accused.

Replying to defence counsel’s argument regarding “defective” probe in the case, the prosecutor said a few loopholes could, in no way, lead to acquittal of the accused.

Seeking conviction for all accused, Saxena said various judgments by the Supreme Court and the High Courts in similar cases lent credence to his arguments.

It was January 23, 1999, when Shivani was found murdered in her east Delhi flat . She was at home with her infant son at the time of murder.