No eyewitnesses to Sharma’s ‘murder’: cops

Delhi Police have so far not found any eyewitness who saw industrialist Anil Nanda's employee Janeshwar Sharma (45) being set on fire at the industrialist’s New Friends Colony bungalow in southeast Delhi.

Delhi Police have so far not found any eyewitness who saw industrialist Anil Nanda's employee Janeshwar Sharma (45) being set on fire at the industrialist’s New Friends Colony bungalow in southeast Delhi.

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More than 20 people including Nanda were present in the bungalow when the incident took place on the morning of June 9.

Sharma had left his Karawal Nagar home in northeast Delhi on his motorcycle and reached Nanda's bungalow around 8 am. He was reportedly set on fire between 8.30 and 9 am in the changing room of the employees.

“We have questioned more than 20 people in the household but no one saw Janeshwar being set on fire. It was only when he came out shouting for help that the other three staffers — drivers Kuber Singh and Prem Singh — and Rajkumar rushed him to hospital,” said a senior police officer.

Police said they had found a mineral water bottle with traces of petrol and a matchbox at the scene of crime.

Before his death Sharma had alleged that Nanda and two others — Dheeraj Balani and Jeetendra Pandey — allegedly set him on fire.

“When the first time we recorded his statement he told us that he could not see the people who poured kerosene on him from the back. As a reflex action if a liquid is poured on someone it is quite natural for him to turn back immediately.”

Police said the examination of the scene of crime also suggested that there were no traces of petrol on the other walls and it seemed to have congregated around Janeshwar’s feet as if it had been poured from above.

Police said they have also asked for the mobile phone details of Nanda and the others present in the household at the time of the incident.