The Hindu : New Delhi News : "Manu Sharma's confession was not taken into account"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 11, 2006
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New Delhi

"Manu Sharma's confession was not taken into account"

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The prosecution in the Jessica Lal murder case on Tuesday admitted before the Delhi High Court that it had not pressed for playing in the trial the Video Compact Disc (VCD) containing the statement of prime accused Siddharth Vashishtha alias Manu Sharma recorded by the Delhi police.

In the statement, Manu Sharma had allegedly confessed to shooting ramp model Jessica Lal. However, the trial court had not taken the statement into account when he had denied it during the trial.

Standing Counsel Mukta Gupta submitted before a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justice R. S. Sodhi and Justice P. K. Bhasin that the prosecution had not urged the trial court to view the VCD as its audio quality was poor. However, the recorded statement was transcribed and later exhibited in the trial, Ms. Gupta submitted. The Standing Counsel was making her submission on the appeal against the acquittal of Manu Sharma and eight others by the trial court in February this year.

When the Bench asked Ms. Gupta whether any Delhi Police officer was present at the party on day of incident at the Tamarind Court restaurant of socialite Bina Ramani, she replied that then Joint Commissioner of Police of New Delhi Range Y. S. Dadhwal was present there but he had left the place before the incident. Then the Bench observed whether he had gone there to see the security arrangements. In reply, Ms. Gupta said he had gone there to have dinner with one of his friends but had left before the incident.

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