Would not have allowed Sharma in my bar: Arjun Rampal

Actor Arjun Rampal on Tuesday confirmed that Manu Sharma, serving a life term for the 1999 murder of model Jessica Lal, was in his lounge bar LAP late on Friday when he was out on parole.

Actor Arjun Rampal on Tuesday confirmed that Manu Sharma, serving a life term for the 1999 murder of model Jessica Lal, was in his lounge bar LAP late on Friday when he was out on parole. The Delhi government has sought a police report on the incident.

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"The close circuit television camera footage has shown that Manu Sharma had come to the pub along with one of the members Sahil Dhingra," Rampal, who owns the bar, told reporters in New Delhi.

The CCTV footage has been given to the police.

Rampal said he has cancelled the membership of Dhingra, owner of leading apparel exporter Orient Craft, after the incident. LAP, located in Hotel Samrat in Chanakyapuri area, permits entry only to its members.

The police had come to LAP following a complaint against Dhingra. It was said that Dhingra had a tiff with the son of a senior police officer in F bar of the Ashok Hotel next door, following which he and Sharma went to the LAP.

The police picked up Dhingra from the bar, while Sharma managed to escape from the rear door. The police later picked many people including Samir Thapar, vice president and managing director of JCT. Thapar was detained for nearly eight hours before being released.

Sharma had come under fire for his presence in the bar. He was granted parole on the ground that his mother was seriously ill and he had to attend to family business matters.

His parole was extended Nov 22 for 30 more days on Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit's recommendation to the Lieutenant Governor.

After Sharma was seen partying in LAP, the Dikshit-led Congress government came under severe criticism for releasing him on parole.

On Saturday, his mother Shakti Rani held a press conference in the family-run Piccadilly Hotel in Chandigarh to give a brief on a national under-19 women's cricket tournament.

That raised more questions about the state of her health.

After facing criticism from opposition parties and legal experts, the state government has asked Delhi Police to submit a report on the entire episode.

"We have been asked to submit a report," a senior police officer told IANS.

Rampal said: "Sharma is out for the wrong reasons. We do not want such people to easily enter anywhere. Such people are mentally ill and can do anything. We will now beef up our security."