M A I N   N E W S

Jessica case: murder charge upheld

New Delhi, March 13
The Delhi High Court today upheld a trial court’s murder charge against Sidharth Vashisht, alias Manu Sharma, the prime accused in the Jessica Lal murder case, but declined permission to the CBI to frame additional charges.

The CBI had sought the framing of additional charges for criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence against Manu and others.

“There are no grounds for framing a charge under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with Section 302 (murder) of the IPC”, said Mr Justice R.C. Chopra in his 53-page order. “There are also no grounds for framing a charge under Section 201/34 (destruction of evidence) against him.”

Ramp model Jessica was shot dead allegedly by Manu on April 30, 1999, when she refused to serve him a drink at socialite Bina Ramani’s Tamarind Court restaurant in Mehrauli. After the shooting, Manu had fled to Chandigarh. Later he surrendered to Delhi police.

Manu is the son of former Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Venod Sharma who was in the P.V. Narasimha Rao’s government.

The court also declined permission to frame additional charges against Vikas Yadav, son of Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party leader D.P. Yadav, and Coca Cola executives Amardeep Singh Gill, alias Tony and Alok Khanna.

The trial court had discharged another Coca Cola executive Amit Jingen. UNI