SC rejects Manu's bail plea; HC admits Romesh's plea

NI Wire

New Delhi

Mon, 12 May 2008: 

Monday was the big day for two high profile cases waiting for judges' favour in two courts: one in Supreme Court and another in Delhi High Court. The Supreme Court brought setback to the convicted while the High Court brought some sort of relief to another convicted person.

The Supreme Court denied grantg bail to Manu Sharma alias Siddharth Vashist, who has been convicted by the High Court and is serving life imprisonment in Jessica Lal murder case, while the High Court admitted the appeal of Romesh Sharma challenging the conviction awarded to him by a city court in the Kunjum Buddhiraja murder case.

Supreme Court: Jessica Lal murder case

A two-member Bench headed by Justice C K Thakker while rejecting Sharma's bail plea said, “No case for suspension of sentence and grant of bail is made out.” Further the Bench said the appeal against the conviction is already admitted and will be entertained within an appropriate time.

The Court had started hearing on the bail plea of Manu Sharma last Friday and yesterday; on Sunday it had reserved verdict after the end of arguments on the bail application of Sharma.

Manu sharma alias Siddharth Vashist, son of influential Congress politician and former Union Minister Vinod Sharma was convicted by High Court for murdering Jessica Lal, a bartender at Tamarind Court Bar in the night of April 29, 1990 after refusing him to serve drinks since the bar was closed.

Besides Manu Sharma, many other high profile names were associated with the Jessica Lal murder case such as Amardeep Singh Gill, Vikas Yadav, Alok Khanna, Vikas Gill and some others, which were charged under sections 120 (B), 302, 201and 212 of the Indian Penal Code.

The six-year long case gave verdict in favour of Manu Sharma and the trial court Judge S L Bhayana acquitted Manu Sharma from the murder charge. The decision was challenged by the prosecution in the High Court, which reversed the lower court's acquittal order and convicted and sentenced Manu Sharma to lifer in December 2006.

High Court: Kunjum Buddhiraja murder case

Dawood Ibrahim's alleged front man, extortionist and property swindler Romesh Sharma's petition for challenging the city court's order found him convicted in the Kunjum Buddhiraja's murder case was admitted by the Delhi High Court on Monday.

A Bench headed by Justice H R Malhotra also issued notice to the Delhi Police to file its reply by July 23 regarding Sharma's plea in the murder case.

Romesh Sharma had taken the shelter under High Court on April 24 this year against the city court order, which convicted Sharma under section302 and 120-B of Indian Penal Code and awarded rigorous life term imprisonment for murdering his girlfriend and fashion designer Kunjum Buddhiraja on March 20, 1999.

Besides Romesh Sharma five others comprising Sharma’s nephew Surinder Mishra, Tejinder Virdi alias Dolly, and hired killers Hemchand, Sant Ram and Ramesh were also sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment.

The Court also slapped fines of Rs 50,000 on Sharma, Rs 5000 each on Mishra and Dolly and Rs 1,000 each on paid killers Hemchand, Sant Ram and Ramesh.

According to the prosecution, Kunjum was murdered at the farmhouse at Mehrauli in South Delhi where she was fraudulently taken by Sharma's nephew. The hired killers already present there stabbed her to death. The Prosecution said the conspirator behind the murder was Romesh Sharma who was at the time of murder was lodging at Tihar Jail in connection with other cases.

Prosecution said that Sharma had become cautious of Kunjum as she had started usurping his assets and making unreasonable demands.