Jessica Lal case: 11-year-long battle for justice

 

 Following is the chronology of events in the Jessica Lal murder case:

1) April 29-30 1999: Jessica shot at a party in Qutub Colonnade restaurant in south Delhi. 

2) April 30, 1999: Doctors at Apollo Hospital declare Jessica brought dead. 

3) May 2, 1999: Delhi Police recovers Tata Safari  car belonging to Manu Sharma, son of Haryana Congress leader Venod Sharma, from Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
4) May 6, 1999: Manu surrenders before a court in Chandigarh. Subsequently 10 other co-accused, including Vikas Yadav, son of UP politician D P Yadav, arrested.

5) August 3, 1999: Chargesheet filed against accused for killing Jessica under various sections of IPC.

6) January 31, 2000: Magistrate court commits the case to a Sessions court for trial.

7) November 23, 2000: Sessions court frames charges for murder against nine persons and discharges one accused, Amit Jhingan, while declaring Ravinder Sudan alias Titu as proclaimed offender.  

8) May 2, 2001: Court starts recording of prosecution evidence. Deepak Bhojwani, an eye witness deposes before the trial court.

9) May 3, 2001: Complainant and eye witness Shyan Munshi turns hostile and fails to identify Manu in court.

10) May 5, 2001: Another eye witness Shiv Das, an electrician at Qutub Colonnade, turns hostile.

11) May 16, 2001: Third key witness Karan Rajput turns hostile.
12) July 6, 2001: Malini Ramani, eyewitness, identifies Manu.

13) October 12, 2001: Socialite Bina Ramani, owner of the restaurant and bar, identifies Manu.

14) October 17, 2001: George Mailhot, Ramani's Canadian husband, deposes and identifies Manu.

15) July 20, 2004: Surinder Sharma, controversial investigating officer in the case, deposes after returning from UN assignment in Kosovo.

16) February 21, 2006: Trial court acquits all nine accused due to lack of evidence against them. 

17) March 13, 2006: Delhi Police file appeal in the high court. 

18) October 3, 2006: High Court begins hearing on appeal on a day-to-day basis.

19) November 29, 2006: High Court reserves its verdict.

20) December 18, 2006: High Court convicts Manu, Vikas Yadav and Amardeep Singh Gill alias Tony and acquits Aloke Khanna, Vikas Gill, Harvinder Singh Chopra, Raja Chopra, Shyam Sunder Sharma and Yograj Singh.

21) December 20, 2006: High Court awards life imprisonment term to main convict Manu Sharma with a fine of Rs 50,000 and also sentences co-convicts Amardeep Singh Gill and Vikas Yadav to four years' prison term with Rs 3,000 fine each.

22) February 2, 2007: Manu Sharma appeals in the Supreme Court.

23) March 8, 2007: Supreme Court admits Manu Sharma's appeal.

24) November 27, 2007: Supreme Court rejects Manu Sharma's bail plea.

25) May 12, 2008: Supreme Court again rejects Manu Sharma's bail plea.

26) January 19, 2010: Supreme Court commences hearing on Manu Sharma's appeal.

27) February 18, 2010: Supreme Court reserves verdict on the appeal of Manu Sharma.

28) April 19, 2010: Supreme Court upholds conviction and life term of Manu..

Finally a long battle came to an end..

          May Your Soul Rest in Peace           

Source: Rediff News