New Delhi, Mar. 24 : A Delhi Court today awarded life imprisonment to former Haryana cadre IPS officer R K Sharma and three others, who were convicted in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case.

Last week, the court had held R K Sharma alongwith three others -- Pradeep Sharma, Sri Bhagwan and Satya Prakash -- for murdering the Indian Express journalist at her East-Delhi flat on January 23 1999.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri had pronounced them guilty under Section 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The court had acquitted Ved Prakash Sharma and Ved alias Kalu.

It took the police over three years to crack the case. The trial has seen four judges and 209 witnesses. (ANI)