New Delhi, Oct 26 (UNI) The Supreme Court today declined to give early hearing to the petition filed by former Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress (DPYC) president Sushil Sharma, facing death sentence in tandoor murder case.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and V S Sirpurkar, however, directed the counsel for the petitioner to mention the appeal for early hearing after the Diwali holiday so that some date for the hearing of the appeal could be given.

Sushil Sharma was awarded death sentence by the trial court for murdering his wife Naina Sahni in 1995 as he suspected her of having illicit relation with one Maqbool Butt. He later tried to dispose off the body with the help of his manager Keshav by burning it in the tandoor of his Baghiya restaurant in Hotel Ashok Yatri Niwas.

Sharma is in jail since 1995 after he was apprehanded by the police from Bangalore.

His death sentence was confirmed by the Delhi High Court last year, but was stayed by the Supreme Court till final disposal of his appeal against High Court judgement, which had already been admitted by the apex court.

UNI