The Hindu : Supreme Court dismisses Manu Sharma's bail plea

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Wednesday, Dec 03, 2003

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Supreme Court dismisses Manu Sharma's bail plea

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI DEC. 2. The Supreme Court today dismissed a bail application filed by Manu Sharma, prime accused in the Jessica Lal murder case.

A Bench, comprising Justice N. Santosh Hegde and Justice B.P. Singh, after hearing arguments from Ram Jethmalani, senior counsel for the accused, said it was not inclined to interfere with the Delhi High Court order refusing bail to the applicant.

Mr. Jethmalani submitted that Sharma had not done anything to warrant cancellation of the interim bail granted to him for the last one year. "In a murder case like this, why was bail granted," the Bench asked.

Mr. Jethmalani said Sharma was entitled to bail as the prosecution was in no position to prove the guilt of his client in the case pertaining to the killing of the model at the "Tamarind Court" in south Delhi as none of the witnesses supported the police case.

The Bench intervened and said: "in this society it is a big problem. There are people watching the incident and yet nobody comes forward to support the prosecution."

The High Court had dismissed Sharma's bail plea on November 11 saying that "circumstantial evidence" was "consistent with his guilt." Pursuant to this order, Sharma was sent to judicial custody by a trial court.

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