The Hindu : New Delhi News : Unbroken chain of evidence against Manu Sharma: Counsel

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 04, 2006
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

Unbroken chain of evidence against Manu Sharma: Counsel

Staff Reporter

"Several findings by the trial court were contrary to the facts"

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday began hearing arguments on the appeal filed by the Delhi police against the acquittal of Siddharth Vashishtha alias Manu Sharma and eight others in the Jessica Lal murder case.

Initiating her argument, Standing Counsel Mukta Gupta submitted that though there was no direct evidence linking Manu Sharma to the allegation that it was he who had shot the ramp model Jessica at Tamarind Court restaurant on April 30, 1999, but there was unbroken chain of circumstantial evidence for his conviction.

Ms. Gupta submitted that there were several findings by the trial court in the case that were contrary to the facts and thus perverse.

She submitted that the then Additional Judge S.L. Bhayana (now Delhi High Court Judge) had said in his judgment that the investigating officer in the case, Inspector Surender Sharma, had deposed that senior Delhi Police officers had told him that Manu Sharma was involved in the crime but the fact was contrary to it.

She said that actually the senior officers on a request by Sharma had helped him in verifying the registered owner of the Tata Safari that was recovered from the spot.

She submitted that the ownership of the vehicle was traced to Haryana-based Piccadilly Agro Industries where Manu Sharma was one of the directors.

She stated that the trial court had held as true the prosecution's plea that Manu Sharma, Vikas Yadav, Alok Khanna and Amardeep Singh Gill were present at the "Thursday'' party organised by socialite Bina Ramani on that day.

However, Ms. Gupta failed to convince the Court on its query as to whether on the date of the incident Manu Sharma was driving the vehicle.

She admitted that the forensic laboratory had opined that the pieces of the right widow pane of the vehicle recovered from inside it and its left window pane were not of the same make due to difference in their films and monograms. However, the prosecution allegation on that point was that the accused persons had forcibly taken away the vehicle from the spot, got the broken widow pane replaced and then abandoned it in Noida.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi