Anil Nanda questioned

On Friday, the Delhi Police questioned industrialist Anil Nanda in connection with the murder of one of his employees Janeshwar Sharma (45).

On Friday, the Delhi Police questioned industrialist Anil Nanda in connection with the murder of one of his employees Janeshwar Sharma (45).

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Sharma was reportedly set ablaze at Nanda’s bungalow in New Friend’s Colony on June 9. He died with 85 per cent burns on June 16. Police said Nanda was present in the bungalow when Sharma was set on fire.

In a letter, written before his death and in an interview to a news channel, Sharma had said he feared threat to his life from Nanda and two others, Dheeraj Balani and Jeetendra Pandey. Sharma’s family has alleged the police were working under influence of the industrialist.

Repeated attempts to contact the Nandas proved futile. His representative Sudhir Sood did not take calls nor replied to SMSs sent by HT.

Sources said Nanda told the police he was in the bathroom when Sharma was set on fire.

“Anil Nanda was present in the house when Sharma was set on fire. We questioned him on Friday along with 20 others. We are corroborating Sharma’s statement to the television channel. We have asked the channel for the unedited tapes,” said Virender Singh Chahal, additional commissioner of police (southeast). The news channel had recorded Sharma’s dying statement on June 14.

Police said on June 9 they had received a call from Apollo Hospital informing about a man admitted with 85 per cent burns. “When we went to record his statement, he did not name anyone,” said Chahal.

But contrary to Chahal’s claim, the FIR clearly states that Sharma had named one Dheeraj in his complaint.

“Office mein jaane par Dheeraj saheb ne kaha ki captain Vijay Sinha ka peecha karo. Maine toll bridge tak peecha kiya to saheb Radission Hotel mein baithe the. Phir Vijay saheb ne mujhe pakad liya, main akela tha, maine bataya Dheeraj saheb ne bheja hai. Vijay Sinha Nanda saheb ke business partner hain (When I reached office Dheeraj sahab asked me to follow Vijay Sinha. I followed him till the toll bridge and found Sinha was sitting in Radission hotel. Then Vijay sahab caught me, I was alone, I told him Dheeraj sahab has sent me. Sinha is (Anil) Nanda sahab’s business partner),” the FIR lodged at New Friend’s Colony police station registered on Sharma’s statement reads.

“When we specifically asked him what happened on June 9, he only said that while he was changing his clothes someone poured petrol on him and set him on fire. When we asked him further, he would speak later. We registered a case of attempt to murder,” said Chahal.

Meanwhile, the police have seized CCTV footage from cameras installed at Nanda’s house.