Jessica Lal murder case: Delhi HC asks jail authorities to decide within a week convict’s parole plea

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the jail authorities to decide in a week the plea of Jessica Lal murder convict Manu Sharma, who has spent about 17 years in jail, seeking eight-week parole to look after family needs.
Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar was informed by the counsel for Sharma that his plea seeking parole is pending with the authorities for nearly nine months whereas they are required to decide it within four weeks.
“The jail authorities are directed to dispose of the parole plea of the petitioner (Sharma) within a week,” the court said.
Senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog and lawyer Amit Sahni, appearing for Sharma, submitted that he be released on parole for eight weeks for continuity of social ties and to look after family ties They said the plea is pending before jail authorities for nearly nine months and they are not deciding it and he is challenging the inordinate delay.
Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra said Sharma should first wait for the decision of jail authorities on his plea and thereafter approach the high court if required.
He said Sharma is already in an open jail which means that from morning till sunset, he goes to his work outside the boundaries of jail.
To this, the judge said, “but he can’t be roaming around during this period.” Sharma has been in confinement for more than 16 years and 6 months in jail and over 22 years and 8 months, including the remission, earned by him on account of good conduct and work done by him in prison.
Sharma’s another plea seeking premature release is also pending in the high court which had earlier sought response of Delhi government on it.
Sharma, son of former Union minister Venod Sharma, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the high court in December, 2006 for killing Jessica Lal in 1999.
The trial court had acquitted him, but the Delhi High Court had reversed the order and the Supreme Court had upheld his life sentence in April, 2010.
Lal was shot dead by Manu Sharma after she had refused to serve him liquor at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at Qutub Colonnade in south Delhi’s Mehrauli area on the night of April 30, 1999. PTI
-
At Delhi’s IGI airport, pick-up vehicles now to head to multi-level car parking
The Delhi International Airport Limited, the operator at the Indira Gandhi International airport, on Wednesday announced that all private and commercial vehicles that pick passengers from Terminal 3 can now do the same through levels 1 and 2 of the multi-level car parking (MLCP) area. The move is aimed at decongesting Lane 3 and the forecourt area outside the terminal, officials said. After this, applicable parking charges will apply.
-
Gehlot faces criticism from section of Congress leaders over Dalit boy’s death
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has faced criticism from a section of his party leaders over the death of a nine-year-old Dalit student in Jalore apart from opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. The boy died after a teacher allegedly thrashed him for drinking water from a pot meant for upper caste students and teachers. Congress lawmaker Panachand Meghwal sent his resignation to Gehlot on Monday citing rising cases of atrocities against Dalits.
-
Five of a family killed in road accident near Pune
Five members of a family were killed and one was seriously injured in a road accident near Ranjangaon MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) on Pune- Ahmednagar highway near Karegaon, officials said. Police officials said that the accident took place after a container coming from the wrong side rammed into a car, at 1:30 am on Wednesday. All these are residents of Avane Budruk village in Ahmednagar district. Ranjangoan MIDC police are investigating the case.
-
Bengaluru crime watch: Gambling ring busted; 13 caught, over ₹1 lakh seized
Bengaluru City Crime Branch on Wednesday arrested as many 13 persons in connection with an illegal gambling ring and seized over Rs 1 lakh from them. The incident occurred within the Kodigehalli police station limits. The identities of the accused have not been revealed but CCB officials said the accused were running 'andar bahar' games in the gambling den. Andhar Bahar is a game of chance played with a standard deck of cards.
-
Karnataka Cong requests officials to remove Savarkar's posters in Udupi
The Congress party in Udupi district requested the police and district administration to remove Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's posters installed on the backdrop of Independence Day celebrations. Their move comes after Karnataka Police on August 15 imposed Section 144 in parts of Shivamogga district after a clash over Savarkar and Tipu Sultan's banners at Ameer Ahmed circle on Independence Day. Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said nobody should take the law into their hands at any cost.