New Delhi, Mar 18: Former Haryana cadre IPS officer R K Sharma and three others were found guilty in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case on Tuesday.

Besides Sharma, Pradeep Sharma, Satya Prakash and Sri Bhagwan were the others convicted. The court acquitted Ved Prakash Sharma and Ved alias Kalu.

The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on March 20.

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

Pradeep Sharma has been charged with inflicting fatal injuries on the victim, four others, apart from R K Sharma, allegedly provided him support to commit the crime.

The prosecution has charged all with murder and conspiracy. Pradeep has additionally been charged with theft of the victim's gold chain and camera after the murder.

According to the police, R K Sharma conspired to have Shivani killed after she threatened to expose him. The two allegedly had a relationship and during his stint as an officer on special duty (OSD) in the Prime Minister's Office in 1997, the IPS officer had "leaked" some secret documents to Shivani.

In his defence, R K Sharma denied having had any affair with Shivani, as alleged by the prosecution. He also denied having leaked any sensitive information to the journalist.

Shivani, a journalist with the Indian Express, was found murdered at her East Delhi apartment on January 23, 1999. (ANI)