Jessica case: HC issues warrants against 9

All the nine accused had been previously acquitted by a trial court.

Admitting the police appeal against the acquittal of all accused in the Jessica Lall murder case, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued bailable warrants against nine people, including Manu Sharma, and asked them not to leave the country.

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A Division Bench of Justice Manmohan Sarin and Justice Manju Goel restrained the acquitted persons from leaving the country till further orders and asked them to appear before the court on April 18, the next date of hearing.

The bailable warrants were issued after Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam and state counsel Mukta Gupta sought non-bailable warrants against those acquitted in the case on the grounds that one of them had already left for the United States and others may follow.

The Delhi Police had earlier challenged February 21 acquittal order by the then Additional Sessions Judge SL Bhayana against the nine people. The appeal cited 92 grounds on which the prosecution sought to assail the judgement delivered by the trial judge.