Manu Sharma: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 13:25, 3 November 2006 edit203.200.99.67 (talk) +cat← Previous edit		Latest revision as of 21:38, 11 January 2025 edit undoZimZalaBim (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users, Rollbackers47,765 edits →Current status: nothing is "current "here
(591 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{Short description\|Convicted murderer (born 1977)}}
	]
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=April 2015}}
	'''Manu Sharma''' (b. 1977) is widely believed to have murdered ]n model and documentary filmmaker ] in a crowded bar early in the morning of ], ]. Despite dozens of witnesses, Sharma, who comes from a politically powerful family, was acquitted of all charges, along with seven other well-connected defendants, by judge S.L. Bhayana on ], ].
			{{Use Indian English\|date=September 2017}}
			{{Infobox criminal
			\| name = Manu Sharma
			\|Other name. = Siddharth Sharma
			\| image_name =
			\| image_size =
			\| image_caption =
			\| birth_date = {{bya\|1977}}
			\| birth_place =
			\| death_date =
			\| death_place =
			\| charge = Murder
			\| motive = Refusal to be served alcohol
			\| conviction = 18 December 2006
			\| conviction_penalty = Life imprisonment; released on 2 June 2020 for good behaviour
			\| conviction_status = Convicted
			\| occupation = Pub owner
			\|Company owned = Piccadily Agro Industries Ltd. (PAIL)
			\| spouse = {{marriage\|Preity Sharma \|2015}} <ref>{{cite web \| url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/manu-sharma-gets-april-2015-marriage-registered-at-ut-registrar-s-office/story-uWvNhUlGNn9sRGMmzt0F9L.html#:~:text=Sector%2017%20here.-,Out%20on%20parole%2C%20Sharma%2C%2039%2C%20arrived%20at%20the%20registrar's,the%20slip%20to%20the%20media. \| title=Manu Sharma gets April 2015 marriage registered at UT registrar's office \| publisher=Hindustan Times \| work=Monica Sharma \| date=20 January 2017 \| accessdate=24 June 2021}}</ref>
			\| parents = ] (father)
			\| relatives = ] (brother)
			\| children =
			\| birth_name = Siddharth Vashisht
			}}
			'''Manu Sharma (born 1977)''', born '''Siddharth Vashisht''' and now known as '''Siddharth Sharma''', is an Indian convicted murderer who was imprisoned for the 1999 ]. He was released in June 2020 on grounds of good behaviour. Sharma is the son of the former ] leader, ], and the brother of media baron, ].

			Sharma is one of several high-profile criminals brought to trial in India through media activism, with his conviction among those viewed as demonstrating the impact of the general public in correcting imbalances in the Indian legal process.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=12dd04bf-0796-4b52-bf3d-d4a291ebd120&ParentID=63d4699b-619d-49a4-9c0a-4adc214bf63c&&Headline=Courts+see+through+flip-flops+of+witnesses \|title=Courts see through flip-flops of witnesses – BMW case: Sanjeev Nanda found guilty \|date=10 September 2008 \|work=] \|access-date=13 September 2008 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125114455/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=12dd04bf-0796-4b52-bf3d-d4a291ebd120&ParentID=63d4699b-619d-49a4-9c0a-4adc214bf63c&&Headline=Courts+see+through+flip-flops+of+witnesses \|archive-date=25 January 2013}}</ref>
	The decision left a situation where a prominent person was murdered in view of
	dozens of people, yet there was no one to point fingers to.
	Wide public outcry led to the case being re-admitted in the Delhi High court in
	March 2006.

			== Personal life ==
	This case is widely viewed as a litmus test of India's turning image. It is one of several where the high and mighty have shown themselves to be above the
	] (see ] and ]). Media
	revelations in October 2006 have led to increasing optimism that the guilty
	may finally be convicted.

			Sharma was born in 1977. His father was a member of parliament in the ] during 1990s, elected on an ] ticket. He was later elected to the Haryana legislature.<ref name="gulf">{{Cite news \|url=http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=239728&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22 \|title=Homicide conviction punctures legal armour of India's elite \|date=5 September 2008 \|work=] \|access-date=18 September 2008 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607192411/http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=239728&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22 \|archive-date=7 June 2011 \|df=dmy-all}}</ref> His uncle is the son-in-law of former ], ].<ref name="hindu1">{{Cite news \|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/19/stories/2006121911590100.htm \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121035413/http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/19/stories/2006121911590100.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=21 November 2010 \|title=Manu Sharma, Vikas Yadav and Gill convicted in Jessica Lal murder case \|date=19 December 2006 \|work=] \|access-date=18 September 2008}}</ref> The family owns two sugar mills, at ] in ], and Patran in ].<ref name="rediff1">{{Cite news \|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/dec/19jessica.htm \|title=It's all silent at Manu Sharma's house \|date=19 December 2006 \|access-date=18 September 2008 \|work=]}}</ref>
	===Family Background===
	Manu Sharma is the son of leading ] politician ]
	of the Indian ].
	Venod Sharma, who had served as a Minister at the centre in the
	] cabinet, was president of the Congress Party in Haryana
	at the time of
	the crime.
	Manu's uncle is the son-in-law of former
	president of India, ] and the family owns a
	number of sugar mills and entertainment businesses in ], Haryana and ].

			Sharma suffers from ].<ref name="indiatoday">{{Cite news \|url=http://www.india-today.com/itoday/31051999/crime.html \|title=Wanton Ways \|date=30 May 1999 \|access-date=18 September 2008 \|publisher=] \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906195755/http://www.india-today.com/itoday/31051999/crime.html \|archive-date=6 September 2008 \|url-status=dead }}</ref> He completed two years of undergraduate courses in Commerce at a college in ].
	After the negative publicity following the murder, Venod Sharma
	was denied a congress ticket for the Parliamentary elections, but
	he managed to win a election to the state legislature and was inducted
	into the State cabinet as Minister of Power.

			On 22 April 2015, Sharma married Preity Sharma, a Mumbai based model. The marriage was delayed due to Sharma's conviction.<ref>{{cite web \| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/post-wedding-hush-at-manu-sharmas-house/articleshow/47064946.cms \| title=Post wedding, hush at Manu Sharma's house \| work=] \| date=27 April 2015 \| accessdate=24 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/473942/jessica-lal-killer-manu-sharma.html \|title=Jessica Lall murder convict Manu Sharma weds Mumbai woman \|last=Varinder Bhatia \|date=26 April 2015 \|work=] \|access-date=27 April 2015}}</ref>
	==The murder==

			== Murder and conviction ==
	Seven days after the murder, Manu Sharma surrendered to the police,
			{{Main\|Murder of Jessica Lal}}
	and made a confession which was tape recorded. However, no attempt
	was made to formalize his statement in front of a magistrate or to
	obtaining evidence based on this confession for the
	trial. On October 2, 2006,
	the ] news channel obtained
	the audiotape of the confession and broadcast
	some segments from it:
	<ref name=ndtv1>
	{{cite web
	\|url=
	http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Jessicalall&id=94163&callid=1
	\|title=NDTV gets Manu Sharma's taped confession
	\|author=Anasuya Roy
	\|accessdate=2006-10-07
	\|date= 2006-10-02
	\|publisher = NDTV
	}}</ref>
	:* Manu: There was Jessica Lall, I did not know her name.<BR> I was told even if you give a thousand bucks, I will not give a sip of wine and I said that we have got an arrangement there. I pulled out my pistol there <BR>... and I fired one shot in the air.

			In the late 1990s, Sharma was known to be a regular party-goer in ].<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=40618 \|date=11 January 2003 \|access-date=18 August 2008 \|publisher=India Express\|title=City News, Indian City Headlines, Latest City News, Metro City News }}{{dead link\|date=February 2023\|bot=medic}}{{cbignore\|bot=medic}}</ref> On 29 April 1999, he was present at a party where an unlicensed bar was operating. Jessica Lal refused to serve him, despite being offered 1000 rupees, and Sharma then fired a .22 pistol and killed her.<ref name="IT">{{Cite news \|url=http://www.india-today.com/itoday/17051999/cover.html \|title=Murder of a Model] \|date=17 May 1999 \|publisher=] \|access-date=17 November 2011 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828034344/http://www.india-today.com/itoday/17051999/cover.html \|archive-date=28 August 2008 \|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=rediffaug /> Sharma was arrested and charged with murder, destruction of evidence and other offences.<ref name="rediffaug">{{Cite news \|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/aug/03jess.htm \|title=Manu Sharma, Vikas Yadav charged with Jessica Lal's murder] \|date=3 August 1999 \|work=]}}</ref> During the trial, 32 witnesses ]. Seven years after the case was opened, on 21 February 2006, Sharma and eight others of the twelve accused were acquitted. The trial judge commented after the outcome that: {{quote\|The court has acquitted them because the Delhi police failed to sustain the grounds on which they had built up their case. The police failed to recover the weapon which was used to fire at Jessica Lal as well as prove their theory that the two cartridges, emptied shells of which were recovered from the spot, were fired from one weapon.<ref name="Hindu20060222">{{Cite news \|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/22/stories/2006022214170100.htm \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060225090930/http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/22/stories/2006022214170100.htm \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=25 February 2006 \|work=] \|title=All accused acquitted in Jessica Lal murder case \|date=22 February 2006 }}</ref>}}
	:*Police: Air?

			After his acquittal by the trial court, Sharma was ostracized with SMS campaigns being sent out to boycott all establishments owned by the Sharma family.<ref name="shunned">{{Cite news \|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1436468.cms \|title=Manu Sharma – acquitted, but shunned \|date=3 March 2006 \|work=] \|access-date=18 September 2008}}</ref> The acquittal led to widespread public outcry. In March 2006, the case was re-admitted in the ] where it was tried on a fast-track basis. Among the evidence re-introduced were two spent cartridges recovered from Sharma's car; the ballistic analysis for one of which showed it as matching the bullet recovered from Lal's skull.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=203723 \|title=Getting Away With Murder: Jessica case: Court comes down hard on witnesses \|last=Sharma \|first=Tanu \|date=4 October 2006 \|access-date=15 September 2008 \|publisher=]}}{{dead link\|date=February 2023\|bot=medic}}{{cbignore\|bot=medic}}</ref> This evidence had been overlooked by the trial court. On 18 December 2006, the High Court ruled Sharma guilty of murdering Jessica Lal and sentenced him to life imprisonment. After conviction, he was imprisoned in the ]. Sharma appealed to the ] through his counsel ]. However, the court upheld his sentence of life imprisonment on 19 April 2010.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=570289 \|title=Jessica murder case: SC refuses bail to Manu Sharma \|date=12 May 2008 \|access-date=18 September 2008 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911022825/http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=570289 \|archive-date=11 September 2012 \|publisher=Outlook India}}</ref>
	:*Manu: Yes, that is inside the Colonnade. So it went into the roof and nobody bothered, nobody moved. Then I pointed at Jessica and what I intended to do was I pointed slightly away from her so that I could see her hair, I wanted to generally shoot.

			== Aftermath ==
	:*Police: What was the idea?
			Sharma was incarcerated in the Tihar Jail along with co-accused ] and Amardeep Singh Gill, who had been sentenced for destroying evidence.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.andhracafe.com/index.php?m=show&id=15687 \|title=Manu wants mattress, heater; sorry, says jail \|date=20 December 2006 \|access-date=18 September 2008}}</ref> Along with another high-profile convict, Santosh Kumar Singh, Sharma was involved in helping other prisoners draft legal appeals.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Relaxed_Manu_helps_inmates_in_Tihar/articleshow/940024.cms \|title=Relaxed Manu helps inmates in Tihar \|date=27 December 2006 \|work=] \|access-date=18 September 2008}}</ref>

			On 24 September 2009, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor granted Sharma 30-day parole from jail on the grounds that he needed to attend to his ailing mother, attend the last rites of his grandmother,<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/paroles-ins-and-outs-to-perform-ritual-for/539887/ \|title=Parole's ins and outs: to perform ritual for late grandmother, attend to aged mother \|date=11 November 2009 \|access-date=14 November 2011 \|publisher=Indian Express}}</ref> and also look after the family business which was suffering in his absence.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-09-25/delhi/28078425_1_manu-sharma-venod-sharma-parole \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025015857/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-09-25/delhi/28078425_1_manu-sharma-venod-sharma-parole \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=2012-10-25 \|work=] \|title=Manu Sharma out on 30 day parole }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/jessica-case-hc-to-hear-manus-parole-plea/202038-3.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115155517/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/jessica-case-hc-to-hear-manus-parole-plea/202038-3.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=15 November 2011 \|title=Jessica case: HC to hear Manu Sharma's parole plea \|date=14 November 2011 \|access-date=14 November 2011 \|publisher=IBN}}</ref> It was later revealed that the parole was granted despite an objection from the Delhi police.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-11-12/news/27644474_1_manu-sharma-model-jessica-lall-siddharth-vashisht \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606232937/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-11-12/news/27644474_1_manu-sharma-model-jessica-lall-siddharth-vashisht \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=6 June 2014 \|title=Manu got parole despite Delhi police objection \|date=12 November 2009 \|work=] \|access-date=24 February 2012}}</ref>
	:*Manu: The idea at that time was to shoot in challenge. It was embarrassing to hear that even if I paid a thousand bucks I would not get a sip of drink. <BR>I pointed towards her a little and fired the shot. So I think I hit someone, I was just trying to see what had happened, when this lady comes up there.

			In November 2009, Chief Minister ] came under criticism for granting parole to Sharma after media reports of him visiting night clubs in Delhi emerged. During the parole, he got involved in a brawl with the son of police commissioner of Delhi.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-11-10/delhi/28102367_1_manu-sharma-jessica-lall-parole \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103061910/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-11-10/delhi/28102367_1_manu-sharma-jessica-lall-parole \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=3 November 2012 \|title=Manu Sharma partying hard, yet CM defends parole \|date=10 November 2009 \|work=] \|access-date=10 November 2009}}</ref> After a public uproar that he violated parole norms, the Delhi Government had to cancel his parole<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-11-10/news/28447078_1_manu-sharma-parole-norms-parole-decision \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140217145206/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-11-10/news/28447078_1_manu-sharma-parole-norms-parole-decision \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=17 February 2014 \|title=Delhi Govt asks police to probe if Manu violated parole norms \|date=10 November 2009 \|work=] \|access-date=24 February 2012}}</ref> and on 10 November 2009, Sharma returned to Tihar Jail.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Manu-Sharma-granted-5-day-parole/Article1-769854.aspx \|title=Paroled, reveller Manu Sharma to be out again \|date=16 November 2011 \|work=] \|access-date=24 February 2012 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125075256/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Manu-Sharma-granted-5-day-parole/Article1-769854.aspx \|archive-date=25 January 2013}}</ref>
	:*Police: What type of lady?

			Sharma established the Siddhartha Vashishta Charitable Trust during imprisonment. It is managed by his mother and brother. According to '']'', the Trust is intended to assist causes such as" child education, cancer awareness, rehabilitation of prisoners etc." By July 2011, it had provided assistance to at least 130 children of prison inmates.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/manu-sharmas-trust-showcases-tihar-art-he/814950/ \|title=Manu Sharma's trust showcases Tihar art, he talks of misery in jail \|date=9 July 2011 \|access-date=30 November 2011 \|publisher=Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/Manu-Sharmas-trust-saves-a-3-year-old/articleshow/10063449.cms \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016155518/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-21/people/30183745_1_aiims-life-imprisonment-child-education \|url-status=live \|archive-date=16 October 2011 \|title=Manu Sharma's trust saves a 3-year-old \|last=Sharma \|first=Suruchi \|date=21 September 2011 \|work=] \|access-date=30 November 2011}}</ref>
	:*Manu: Oldish, thin and she says you don't worry and stay here and then I realised something had happened. Then I could hear people saying somebody has shot. <BR> I knew I should move. I took a lift on scooter/motorcycle and I saw a little garden and sort of a dhaba and I put my pistol there. I took a hitch from a scooter, a Tata Safari and a tractor before I reached right in front of Tony's house.<BR> Alok and Vikas were all there by that time. When I inquired, they told me, "I think she is dead". I said single gunshot, he said, "yes". I said who is she – "Jessica Lall".

			Sharma was granted five days' parole in November 2011 to attend the wedding of his younger brother.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/city/20296-police-oppose-manu-sharmas-parole-plea.html \|title=Police oppose Manu Sharma's parole plea \|date=14 November 2011 \|work=The Pioneer \|access-date=14 November 2011}}</ref> The parole restricted his movements to the cities of Karnal, Chandigarh, and Ambala, and prevented him from visiting any night club.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jessica-Lal-murder-case-Manu-Sharma-granted-parole-for-five-days/articleshow/10751960.cms \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413055358/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-16/india/30405164_1_30-day-parole-manu-sharma-parole-application \|url-status=live \|archive-date=13 April 2013 \|title=Manu Sharma granted parole for five days \|date=16 November 2011 \|work=] \|access-date=17 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2632562.ece \|title=Delhi HC grants parole to Manu Sharma, serving life for Jessica Lal killing \|date=16 November 2011 \|work=The Hindu \|access-date=17 November 2011}}</ref> Sharma was granted nine days parole in December 2013<ref>{{Cite news \|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/jessica-lal-murder-case-manu-sharma-gets-nineday-parole/article5473878.ece \|title=Jessica Lal murder case: Manu Sharma gets nine-day parole \|date=18 December 2013 \|work=] \|access-date=19 December 2013}}</ref> and 30 days on 26 December 2014 to appear for his master's degree exams.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jessica-Lall-murder-case-Manu-Sharma-gets-30-days-parole/articleshow/45651665.cms \|title=Jessica Lall murder case: Manu Sharma gets 30 days parole \|work=] \|access-date=27 December 2014}}</ref>
	A number of eye witnesses made initial statements that corroborated with
	this confession. A consistent story emerged:
	Manu along with friends Amardeep Singh and Alok Khanna (at the time
	both were senior executives with ] India), ] (son of
	notorious criminal and member of parliament ] and prime accused in the ]
	murder case), and Amit Jhingan, had entered the bar after it had closed.
	Jessical Lal had rebuffed
	Manu's request for a drink. A powerful politician's son, Manu was unaccustomed to being
	denied. An altercation ensued, and at one point Manu commented that
	"I could have a sip of you for Rs 1000." Eventually Manu
	brought out his 0.22 pistol from his pocket, and fired one shot
	into the air, and the second straight at Jessica's head, killing her immediately.

			Considering his good conduct, Sharma was moved to an "open jail" in November 2017 where he was allowed to leave prison everyday and return in evening.<ref>{{Citation \|title=Growing Economy work. He lives for another JK days in retirement without his adult life. This we have his death. This consistent upward his adulthood and less rapidly in the later his adulthood while he is \|date=2013-05-13 \|work=The Growing Economy \|pages=196–196 \|url=https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203106594-46 \|access-date=2025-01-10 \|publisher=Routledge \|isbn=978-0-203-10659-4}}</ref>
	The five friends fled immediately.
	Manu went into hiding for seven days, conferring with family, and initially
	his father apparently said "face the punishment, what can I do?"
	<ref name=ndtv>
	{{cite web
	\|url=
	http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?fromtimeline=true&id=94382&callid=1&template=Jessicalall
	\|title=Jessica case: Venod Sharma quits Haryana ministry
	\|accessdate=2006-10-07
	\|date= 2006-10-06
	\|publisher = NDTV
	}}</ref>
	However, he subsequently started helping his son. Manu went underground in
	a house indicated by his father in South Delhi, and
	the pistol was disposed of (it was never
	recovered - what Manu Sharma said about it is not clear).
	After his surrender, one by one, all the statements by eyewitnesses,
	as well as
	Manu's own confession, were retracted or were thrown out by the court
	due to inadequate legal process.

			On 2018, Sabrina Lal, the only surviving family member of ] said in a letter to the welfare office of Tihar jail that she had no objection to the release of Manu Sharma as he had spent 15 years in prison.<ref>{{Cite web \|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/19-years-of-jessica-lall-murder-case-a-look-back/ \|title=19 years of Jessica Lall murder case: A look back \|date=2018-04-30 \|website=The Indian Express \|language=en-IN \|access-date=2019-10-10}}</ref> On 2 June 2020, Delhi Lieutenant Governor allowed the release of Sharma after a recommendation by the Sentence Review Board (SRB).<ref>{{Cite web\|date=2020-06-02\|title=Delhi Lieutenant Governor allows release of Manu Sharma, convicted for killing Jessica Lal\|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-lieutenant-governor-allows-release-of-manu-sharma-convicted-for-killing-jessica-lal/story-JHu7iQyL3GD6MMGwyeBBkK.html\|access-date=2020-06-02\|website=Hindustan Times\|language=en}}</ref> The decision was taken by SRB on 13 May 2020 under the chairmanship of Delhi Home Minister, ]. His sentence was supposed to end on 6 May 2023.{{Cn\|date=November 2021}}
	===The Cover-Up===

			Sharma was released from imprisonment in June 2020.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jessica-lall-murderer-manu-sharmas-life-term-ends-after-17-yrs/articleshow/76166298.cms\|title=Jessica Lall murderer Manu Sharma's life term ends after 17 yrs\|website=Times Of India\|accessdate=3 June 2020}}</ref> After his release Manu Sharma expressed regret in an interview to '']'' for killing Jessica Lal.<ref>{{cite web \| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/deeply-regret-what-happened-21-yrs-ago-manu/articleshow/76204552.cms \| title=Deeply regret what happened 21 years ago, says Manu Sharma \| publisher=] \| work=Abhinav Garg \| date=5 June 2020 \| accessdate=24 June 2021}}</ref>
	In the original trial, very few would come forward to depose.
	Eyewitnesses who initially claimed to have seen the murder, such as
	Shyan Munshi, Karan Rajput
	and Shivdas Yadav, all turned hostile.
	Increasingly, revelations in the media have been piecing together
	the story of the pressure, bribery and coercion that led to this reversal.

			== In media ==
	In July-September 2006,
			*'']'', a 2011 Indian political crime thriller film based on the ] case.
	the magazine ] carried out a three month long sting operation
	against these three key witnesses, which was aired in a leading
	Hindi News channel, leading to increasing furore.
	<ref name=tehelka>{{
	cite news
	\|publisher = Star News/Tehelka
	\|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main19.asp?filename=Ne093006JESSICA.asp
	\|title=English Translation of the transcript of the news expose “Case Ke Kaatil”, produced by Tehelka, and aired on Star News
	\|date=2006-09-26
	\|accessdate=2006-10-07
	}}</ref>

			== References ==
	One of the key witnesses was Karan Rajput, who was present at
			{{reflist\|30em}}
	the restaurant to borrow money
	from his nephew, Jitendra, the manager at the bar.
	Rajput who had long been an alcoholic, was asked by his nephew
	to sit at a chair which happened
	to be facing the bar where Shayan and Jessica were making drinks.
	After the murder, Karan initially claimed that he had witnessed
	how a boy in a white T-shirt came up to the bar and shot Jessica.
	However, in the court testimony, he turned hostile, denying
	that he had been there at all.

			== External links ==
	After the incident Karan Rajput lived a life of parties and drinking
			{{Wikinews\|New Delhi: Video shows witnesses in the Jessica Lall murder case being bribed}}
	bouts - although he
	had no job or other visible means of income. In January 2005, he died of
	cirrhosis of the liver. The Tehelka expose
	revealed <ref>
	{{cite web
	\|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main20.asp?filename=Ne100706killers_of_CS.asp
	\|title=Killers of Justice
	\|accessdate=2006-10-06 \|author=Vineet Khare and Harinder Baweja}}</ref>
	that Karan Rajput was a regular visitor to Venod Sharma's offices in Chandigarh and ], Delhi where he would collect money.
	Friends and drinking buddies
	who would go with him mention that a total figure between Rs.
	20 Lakhs to 35 lakhs was paid.
	Here is part of the conversation that the Tehelka reporter had with a friend
	of Karan<ref name=tehelka />:

			{{Authority control}}
	:*Surendra: I saw him taking receiving money at Okhla.
	:*Question: Where at Okhla?
	:*Surendra: From Sharma’s place. In front of Okhla depot there is a building. Sharma owns entire building. We used to collect money from there itself.
	:*Question: How much money?
	:*Surendra: Whatever we needed?
	:*Question: Whatever you say!
	:*Surendra: Whatever we demand. We used to get 20 25 thousand every month just like that. His number is in mamu’s ( Karan Rajput) diary. <BR>...
	:*Question: Would you accompany Rajput when he used to go to collect money ?
	:*Surendra: Yes.
	:*Question: How would they pay, cheque or cash?
	:*Surendra: Cheque.
	:*Question: How much money would come?
	:*Surendra: They gave twice in Nepal.
	:*Question: When you would go to Okhla was the amount fixed?
	:*Surendra: Later they fixed it at 20 thousand. Initially he would 60 thousand sometime up to one or two lakh. Sharma had taken his (Karan Rajput) life’s entire responsibility.

			{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Manu}}
	Another witness, the electrician
			]
	Shivdas Yadav, was standing behind the bar when the murder occurred.
			]
	In his initial statement, subsequently retracted, he also claimed to have
			]
	witnessed the murder by Manu.
			]
	At some point before the trial, Shivdas also
			]
	came into some money with which and opened an electrician's business
			]
	in ].
			]
	Recently, when a journalist from Tehelka called Shivdas
			]
	posing to be Jessica Lal's grieving sister, Shivdas admitted
			]
	<ref name=tehelka /> that his initial confession, and that of
	the others, were all true, and that he was scared of what might happen
	to him were he to tell the truth.

	A third witness, Shyan Munshi was right there, serving behind the
	bar with Jessica. He comes from an upper class family and it was initially
	hoped that he would be a reliable witness.
	He initially signed a First Information Report
	with the police witnessing to
	the murder, and that both shots were fired by the same person.
	However, later in court he said that he did not know Hindi and
	could not tell what he had signed - and then he changed the story
	to state that Manu had only fired once, at the ceiling. The second shot,
	the one that killed Jessica, was
	fired by someone else, whom he could not describe.

	Subsequently the media revealed that he had acted in a
	number of hindi-speaking films. When a reporter posing as a casting director
	for a foreign
	film venture approached him, he discussed nuances of Hindi grammar<ref name=tehelka />:
	"Like in Hindi word `car’ is feminine gender while in Bengali it’s neutral gender."

	There were indications that the Delhi Police also may have introduced false
	], by switching one of the spent cartridges for another 0.22 one - subsequently the tests indicated that the two cartridges had been fired from different guns. This together with Shyan Munshi's testimony, led to the "two-gun theory" and completely
	undermined the prosecution's own case.
	In view of the fact that the weapon was never recovered, other police officers themselves questioned as to why the bullets were at all sent for testing.

	===Acquittal===

	Sharma was acquitted of all charges in February 2006. Not a single
	trustworthy witness could be found, despte the fact that the murder had
	been committed in the presence of dozens of people, including senior
	police officers, at the bar of the Tamarind Court Cafe restaurant in ].
	All the witnesses who had originally claimed to have seen Manu Sharma shoot Jessica turned ] during the six years of the court case.

	Not many people in Chandigarh are surprised at the acquittal of this allegedly high profile criminal. Until a few days before the judgement, 29-year-old Manu was seen attending parties in the town, and running his popular disco-cum-pub, Blue Ice, in Chandigarh’s posh Sector 17 market. He has a reputation for throwing well-organised parties around town. Shortly after he was released on bail in 2003, there was a fight between employees of Blue Ice and some customers; Manu too was reportedly involved, but
	his name was dropped from the case and the disco’s manager was booked instead.

	===Media Pressure===
	The acquittal caused
	widespread outrage in India. The President, ], and others
	were appealed to so that the case could be reopened,
	since it appeared to be a clear case of brazen misuse of power and
	influence by persons in high places. Even in the
	venal atmosphere of the criminal justice system in India where the art of buying/ intimidating/ cajoling witnesses and bribing investigating policemen is well
	known, the circumstances were deemed too shocking.

	On March 22, 2006, the Delhi High Court admitted an appeal by the police against
	the Jessica Lal murder acquittals, issuing bailable warrants against
	prime accused Manu Sharma and eight others and restraining them from
	leaving the country.
	<ref name=hindu>{{
	cite news
	\|publisher = Hindu
	\|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/19/stories/2006041924460300.htm
	\|title=Manu Sharma, seven others granted bail: The ninth accused fails to appear before the court
	\|date=2006-04-19
	\|accessdate=2006-10-08
	}}</ref>

	The further revelations in the media <ref name=ndtv/><ref name=tehelka/> have
	rekindled hopes that additional evidence may now be presented for both
	the original crime as well as
	the cover-up - in terms of cheque payments and other connections. Also,
	Venod Sharma's mobile phone number was found among
	the numbers listed on Karan Rajput's mobile; these calls could also be traced.

	The prosecution is under considerable pressure in the court cases. The media
	pressure is also telling on the key witnesses, especially Shyan Munshi.
	In May 2006, Shyan tried to illegally leave the country but was arrested at
	] airport.

	===Venod Sharma Resigns===

	The media exposes, directly linking Venod Sharma to the key witnesses,
	led to calls for his resignation in the ], particularly
	from the opposition party ].
	On October 6, 2006, Venod Sharma, succumbed to the pressure and resigned
	from the Congress ministry in Haryana. <ref name=ndtv />

	==References==
	<!--The referencing mechanism used on this page is explained at ].-->
	<div class="references-small">
	<references/>
	</div>
	<ref></ref>

	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]

Latest revision as of 21:38, 11 January 2025

Convicted murderer (born 1977)

Manu Sharma
Born	Siddharth Vashisht 1977 (age 47–48)
Occupation	Pub owner
Criminal status	Convicted
Spouse	Preity Sharma (m. 2015)
Parent	Venod Sharma (father)
Relatives	Kartikeya Sharma (brother)

Motive	Refusal to be served alcohol
Conviction(s)	18 December 2006
Criminal charge	Murder
Penalty	Life imprisonment; released on 2 June 2020 for good behaviour

Manu Sharma (born 1977), born Siddharth Vashisht and now known as Siddharth Sharma, is an Indian convicted murderer who was imprisoned for the 1999 murder of Jessica Lal. He was released in June 2020 on grounds of good behaviour. Sharma is the son of the former Indian National Congress leader, Venod Sharma, and the brother of media baron, Kartikeya Sharma.

Sharma is one of several high-profile criminals brought to trial in India through media activism, with his conviction among those viewed as demonstrating the impact of the general public in correcting imbalances in the Indian legal process.

Personal life

Sharma was born in 1977. His father was a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha during 1990s, elected on an Indian National Congress ticket. He was later elected to the Haryana legislature. His uncle is the son-in-law of former President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma. The family owns two sugar mills, at Indri in Haryana, and Patran in Punjab.

Sharma suffers from asthma. He completed two years of undergraduate courses in Commerce at a college in Chandigarh.

On 22 April 2015, Sharma married Preity Sharma, a Mumbai based model. The marriage was delayed due to Sharma's conviction.

Murder and conviction

Main article: Murder of Jessica Lal

In the late 1990s, Sharma was known to be a regular party-goer in Delhi. On 29 April 1999, he was present at a party where an unlicensed bar was operating. Jessica Lal refused to serve him, despite being offered 1000 rupees, and Sharma then fired a .22 pistol and killed her. Sharma was arrested and charged with murder, destruction of evidence and other offences. During the trial, 32 witnesses turned "hostile". Seven years after the case was opened, on 21 February 2006, Sharma and eight others of the twelve accused were acquitted. The trial judge commented after the outcome that:

The court has acquitted them because the Delhi police failed to sustain the grounds on which they had built up their case. The police failed to recover the weapon which was used to fire at Jessica Lal as well as prove their theory that the two cartridges, emptied shells of which were recovered from the spot, were fired from one weapon.

After his acquittal by the trial court, Sharma was ostracized with SMS campaigns being sent out to boycott all establishments owned by the Sharma family. The acquittal led to widespread public outcry. In March 2006, the case was re-admitted in the Delhi High Court where it was tried on a fast-track basis. Among the evidence re-introduced were two spent cartridges recovered from Sharma's car; the ballistic analysis for one of which showed it as matching the bullet recovered from Lal's skull. This evidence had been overlooked by the trial court. On 18 December 2006, the High Court ruled Sharma guilty of murdering Jessica Lal and sentenced him to life imprisonment. After conviction, he was imprisoned in the Tihar Jail. Sharma appealed to the Supreme Court of India through his counsel Ram Jethmalani. However, the court upheld his sentence of life imprisonment on 19 April 2010.

Aftermath

Sharma was incarcerated in the Tihar Jail along with co-accused Vikas Yadav and Amardeep Singh Gill, who had been sentenced for destroying evidence. Along with another high-profile convict, Santosh Kumar Singh, Sharma was involved in helping other prisoners draft legal appeals.

On 24 September 2009, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor granted Sharma 30-day parole from jail on the grounds that he needed to attend to his ailing mother, attend the last rites of his grandmother, and also look after the family business which was suffering in his absence. It was later revealed that the parole was granted despite an objection from the Delhi police.

In November 2009, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit came under criticism for granting parole to Sharma after media reports of him visiting night clubs in Delhi emerged. During the parole, he got involved in a brawl with the son of police commissioner of Delhi. After a public uproar that he violated parole norms, the Delhi Government had to cancel his parole and on 10 November 2009, Sharma returned to Tihar Jail.

Sharma established the Siddhartha Vashishta Charitable Trust during imprisonment. It is managed by his mother and brother. According to The Times of India, the Trust is intended to assist causes such as" child education, cancer awareness, rehabilitation of prisoners etc." By July 2011, it had provided assistance to at least 130 children of prison inmates.

Sharma was granted five days' parole in November 2011 to attend the wedding of his younger brother. The parole restricted his movements to the cities of Karnal, Chandigarh, and Ambala, and prevented him from visiting any night club. Sharma was granted nine days parole in December 2013 and 30 days on 26 December 2014 to appear for his master's degree exams.

Considering his good conduct, Sharma was moved to an "open jail" in November 2017 where he was allowed to leave prison everyday and return in evening.

On 2018, Sabrina Lal, the only surviving family member of Jessica Lal said in a letter to the welfare office of Tihar jail that she had no objection to the release of Manu Sharma as he had spent 15 years in prison. On 2 June 2020, Delhi Lieutenant Governor allowed the release of Sharma after a recommendation by the Sentence Review Board (SRB). The decision was taken by SRB on 13 May 2020 under the chairmanship of Delhi Home Minister, Satyendra Jain. His sentence was supposed to end on 6 May 2023.

Sharma was released from imprisonment in June 2020. After his release Manu Sharma expressed regret in an interview to The Times of India for killing Jessica Lal.

In media

No One Killed Jessica, a 2011 Indian political crime thriller film based on the Murder of Jessica Lal case.

References

"Manu Sharma gets April 2015 marriage registered at UT registrar's office". Monica Sharma. Hindustan Times. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
"Courts see through flip-flops of witnesses – BMW case: Sanjeev Nanda found guilty". Hindustan Times. 10 September 2008. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
"Homicide conviction punctures legal armour of India's elite". Gulf Times. 5 September 2008. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
"Manu Sharma, Vikas Yadav and Gill convicted in Jessica Lal murder case". The Hindu. 19 December 2006. Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
"It's all silent at Manu Sharma's house". Rediff.com. 19 December 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
"Wanton Ways". India Today. 30 May 1999. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
"Post wedding, hush at Manu Sharma's house". The Times of India. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
Varinder Bhatia (26 April 2015). "Jessica Lall murder convict Manu Sharma weds Mumbai woman". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
"City News, Indian City Headlines, Latest City News, Metro City News". India Express. 11 January 2003. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
"Murder of a Model]". India Today. 17 May 1999. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
^ "Manu Sharma, Vikas Yadav charged with Jessica Lal's murder]". Rediff.com. 3 August 1999.
"All accused acquitted in Jessica Lal murder case". The Hindu. 22 February 2006. Archived from the original on 25 February 2006.
"Manu Sharma – acquitted, but shunned". Times of India. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
Sharma, Tanu (4 October 2006). "Getting Away With Murder: Jessica case: Court comes down hard on witnesses". Indian Express. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
"Jessica murder case: SC refuses bail to Manu Sharma". Outlook India. 12 May 2008. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
"Manu wants mattress, heater; sorry, says jail". 20 December 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
"Relaxed Manu helps inmates in Tihar". Times of India. 27 December 2006. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
"Parole's ins and outs: to perform ritual for late grandmother, attend to aged mother". Indian Express. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
"Manu Sharma out on 30 day parole". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012.
"Jessica case: HC to hear Manu Sharma's parole plea". IBN. 14 November 2011. Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
"Manu got parole despite Delhi police objection". Economic Times. 12 November 2009. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
"Manu Sharma partying hard, yet CM defends parole". The Times of India. 10 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
"Delhi Govt asks police to probe if Manu violated parole norms". Economic Times. 10 November 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
"Paroled, reveller Manu Sharma to be out again". The Hindustan Times. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
"Manu Sharma's trust showcases Tihar art, he talks of misery in jail". Indian Express. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
Sharma, Suruchi (21 September 2011). "Manu Sharma's trust saves a 3-year-old". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
"Police oppose Manu Sharma's parole plea". The Pioneer. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
"Manu Sharma granted parole for five days". The Times of India. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
"Delhi HC grants parole to Manu Sharma, serving life for Jessica Lal killing". The Hindu. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
"Jessica Lal murder case: Manu Sharma gets nine-day parole". The Hindu. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
"Jessica Lall murder case: Manu Sharma gets 30 days parole". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
"Growing Economy work. He lives for another JK days in retirement without his adult life. This we have his death. This consistent upward his adulthood and less rapidly in the later his adulthood while he is", The Growing Economy, Routledge, pp. 196–196, 13 May 2013, ISBN 978-0-203-10659-4, retrieved 10 January 2025
"19 years of Jessica Lall murder case: A look back". The Indian Express. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
"Delhi Lieutenant Governor allows release of Manu Sharma, convicted for killing Jessica Lal". Hindustan Times. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
"Jessica Lall murderer Manu Sharma's life term ends after 17 yrs". Times Of India. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
"Deeply regret what happened 21 years ago, says Manu Sharma". Abhinav Garg. The Times of India. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

External links

Categories: