The Hindu : New Delhi News : Jessica case takes a new turn

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 16, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Jessica case takes a new turn

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 15. Counsel for Manu Sharma, prime accused in the Jessica Lal murder case, today suggested before the trial court that the police had planted the vehicle which was allegedly taken away forcibly by Sharma's co-accused on the day of the murder of the ramp model.

Though the chief investigating officer in the case, Surinder Sharma, termed the suggestion as "incorrect'', Sub-Inspector B.D. Dubey of the Uttar Pradesh police in his statement before the court earlier had submitted that he had not collected the shards of the vehicle's windscreen as attributed to him by the Delhi police.

In his statement, B.D. Dubey further said that he had neither collected the shards nor had he later handed over it in a `pulinda' (sack) to the Delhi police as suggested by the latter.

Besides, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) in the case, S.K. Saxena, preferred not to confront Dubey with the sack so that he could have an opportunity to approve or disapprove its recovery by him as claimed by the Delhi police.

It was against this background that R.K. Naseem, counsel for Sharma, accused the city police of planting the Tata Safari vehicle and a live cartridge on it in Noida to frame his client in the case.

Mr. Naseem alleged that the city police had picked up this vehicle from Karnal and planted it with a live cartridge on it in Noida. He further alleged that the police had picked up stray pieces of glass, put in a sack and then planted as the shards of the vehicle.

Though Surinder Sharma during his cross-examination before the Additional Sessions Judge, Manju Goel, denied all these allegations, he said that "I do not recall if he had recorded the statement of B.D. Dubey.''

On the basis of this admission by Surinder Sharma, Mr. Naseem suggested that the seizure memo of the glass pieces was also fabricated.

The cross-examination would continue on Monday.

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