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| '''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 was acquitted of all charges, along with seven other well-connected defendants by judge S.L. Bhayana on ], ]. | '''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 was acquitted of all charges, along with seven other well-connected defendants by judge S.L. Bhayana on ], ]. | ||
| Sharma is the son of Haryana power minister ] |
Sharma is the son of Haryana power minister ] | ||
| of the Indian ], an erstwhile minister in the central ] cabinet. The family is related to ex-president ] and owns a number of sugar mills and entertainment businesses in ], ] and ]. | |||
| The acquittal was particularly noteworthy because the murder had been committed in the presence of dozens of people at the bar of the Tamarind Court Cafe restaurant in ]. Most of the witnesses who had originally claimed to have seen Manu Sharma shoot Jessica turned ] during the protracted court case, and it appears likely that the ] related to the spent shells was doctored by the police, since two cartridges sent for testing turned out to have been fired from different guns. 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. | The acquittal was particularly noteworthy because the murder had been committed in the presence of dozens of people at the bar of the Tamarind Court Cafe restaurant in ]. Most of the witnesses who had originally claimed to have seen Manu Sharma shoot Jessica turned ] during the protracted court case, and it appears likely that the ] related to the spent shells was doctored by the police, since two cartridges sent for testing turned out to have been fired from different guns. 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. | ||
Revision as of 17:14, 29 September 2006
Manu Sharma (b. 1977) is widely believed to have murdered Indian model and documentary filmmaker Jessica Lal in a crowded bar early in the morning of April 29, 1999. Despite dozens of witnesses, Sharma was acquitted of all charges, along with seven other well-connected defendants by judge S.L. Bhayana on February 21, 2006.
Sharma is the son of Haryana power minister Vinod Sharma ( politician) of the Indian Congress Party, an erstwhile minister in the central Narasimha Rao cabinet. The family is related to ex-president Shankar Dayal Sharma and owns a number of sugar mills and entertainment businesses in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
The acquittal was particularly noteworthy because the murder had been committed in the presence of dozens of people at the bar of the Tamarind Court Cafe restaurant in Delhi. Most of the witnesses who had originally claimed to have seen Manu Sharma shoot Jessica turned hostile during the protracted court case, and it appears likely that the forensic evidence related to the spent shells was doctored by the police, since two cartridges sent for testing turned out to have been fired from different guns. 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.
Not many people in Chandigarh are surprised at the acquittal of this allegedly high profile criminal. Till 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 in and around the town.
The Sharma family is reputedly well-known for manipulating and ‘managing’ things, a claim which is backed by claims that although Manu got into several brawls in recent years, the family would always intervene to prevent any case from being registered. A Congress councillor in Chandigarh said that a compromise would be worked out in most cases. Soon 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 eventually, he was taken out of the picture and the disco’s manager was booked instead.
Sharma's acquittal has caused outrage in India with calls to the President, Abdul Kalam, for the case to be reopened, as it appears to be a clear case of the 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 are by many deemed too shocking for words. Very few dared to come forward to depose. The few who did turned hostile. The eyewitnesses who turned hostile include Shayan Munshi, Karan Rajput and Shivdas Yadav. They were present at the site of the incident when Manu Sharma alledgedly shot Jessica Lal. One can only speculate as to the nature of the pressure, bribery or coercion that they have possibly suffered.
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