Current Topics - Apr 07

Lalu Prasad Yadav - Currently Union Minister for Railways
Manu Sharma - Currently appealing against a guilty verdict for murder
Arundhati Roy - Winner of the 1997 Booker Prize and now anti-globalisation/peace activist

Manu Sharma - You can go too far!

Manu Sharma had everything. The son of former Harayana Chief Minister, Venod Sharma, was sentenced to life in prison for muder, conspiracy to cover up a murder and destroying a murder weapon.

In April 1999 Manu went into an illegal bar in Qutab Collonade, Delhi. When refused a drink he shot the bar maid in the head for daring to refuse him. After several days on the run he was brough in to custody.

Nine people were eventually charged with offenses in relation to the muder of Jessica Lal. All were acquitted in February 2006, Manu and two accompices were found guilty by the high court in December 2006. Two other defendants, Vikas Yadev and Amandeep Singh Gill, were found guilty of conspiracy and helping to destroy evidence. There was not enough evidence to convict the other six for aiding, hiding or conspiring with Manu. All three sentenced will appeal.

So why is this so interesting to an outsider? The reasons are many, let alone the column inches and time taken to get this far.

• Women may not serve in bars
• The bar was illegal but over 100 'socilaites' were there
• In social settings I am amazed by how many people claim to have known Jessica
• It was common knowlegde/accepted that Manu was guilty in upper society circles
• Venod Sharma was forced to resign over the issue in July 2006
• The physical evidence was at first very clear, then very confused.
• Defence Counsel Ram Jethmalani trawled the depths in questioning the morals of Jessica Lal, claimed a Sikh no-one had seen fired the shot(s), suggested the police had planted Manu's car and that a policeman may have been the killer
• The police evidence suggested two guns and two different cartridges. Procedures are so far short of transparent on their side
• Manu was allowed bail throughout the trial
• Over 100 people were in the bar but only one, Bina Ramani, had the courage to face the killer
• Many witnesses turned hostile and will now have to justify the change in the stance and statements to the court.
• In spite of all the witnesses it took two arms dealer to admit selling a .22 Berretta and ammunition to Manu to support Bina.
• The judge who acquited the 9 in the first case was not re-confirmed by President Kalan in February
• Manu's driver has never been found.

This case just dragged on and on and would crop up at some point at most social gatherings. It was also just the most blatant of the offences by Delhi's Brat Pack - the young, rich and untouchable offspring of the rich and powerful. Hit & run fatalities, rape, harassment, rumours of suicides, cover-ups - the list goes on and the anecdotal evidence is unending.

Growing up in an environment without consequences leads to ever increasing arrogance. Reputations grow, power is a buzz and being feared is not a consideration. The shrug of acceptance that the accused is likely to get off might just become anger that it happened at all. Finally someone is being punished - maybe if earlier atrocities had been successfully prosecuted Manu would still be free but more importantly Jessica would be alive.